• M C Svanström, B Biber, M Hanes, G Johansson, U Näslund, and E M Bålfors.
• Department of Thoracic Anaesthesiology, Umeå University Hospital, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden.
• Br J Anaesth. 2008 May 1;100(5):683-9.

BackgroundECG changes, similar to those seen during myocardial ischaemia, together with symptoms of chest pain, are common during Caesarean section (CS). We hypothesized that oxytocin administration has cardiovascular effects leading to these symptoms and ECG changes.MethodsForty women undergoing elective CS under spinal anaesthesia were given an i.v. bolus of either 10 IU of oxytocin (Group OXY-CS, n=20) or 0.2 mg of methylergometrine (Group MET-CS, n=20), in a double-blind, randomized fashion after delivery. Ten healthy, non-pregnant, non-anaesthetized women were used as normal controls (Group OXY-NC, n=10) and were given 10 IU of oxytocin i.v. Twelve-lead ECG, on-line, computerized vectorcardiography (VCG), and invasive arterial pressure were recorded.ResultsOxytocin produced a significant increase in heart rate, +28 (SD 4) and +52 (3) beats min(-1) [mean (SEM); P<0.001], decreases in mean arterial pressure, -33 (2) and -30 (3) mm Hg (P<0.001), and increases in the spatial ST-change vector magnitude (STC-VM), +77 (12) and +114 (8) microV (P<0.001), in CS patients and controls, respectively. Symptoms of chest pain and subjective discomfort were simultaneously present. Methylergometrine produced mild hypertension and no significant ECG changes.ConclusionsOxytocin administered as an i.v. bolus of 10 IU induces chest pain, transient profound tachycardia, hypotension, and concomitant signs of myocardial ischaemia according to marked ECG and STC-VM changes. The effects are related to oxytocin administration and not to pregnancy, surgical procedure, delivery, or sympathetic block from spinal anaesthesia.

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