The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · Sep 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of oxytocics on the blood pressure of normotensive Nigerian parturients.
The single most common direct obstetric disorder accounting for 25% of all maternal deaths globally is severe hemorrhage, generally occurring postpartum. Nearly all these deaths occur in the developing world. The role of oxytocic drugs in the management of the third stage of labor as a strategy to reduce maternal mortality has been emphasized. However, the adverse effects of these oxytocic agents, in particular ergometrine, have not been properly evaluated in our environment. ⋯ These results suggest that ergometrine may be safe in normotensive parturients but hazardous in hypertensive parturients in whom oxytocin would be a safer option.