Cervidil--Talk to me!

At my facility: 20 minute reactive strip; known vertex presentation (with either vag exam or sono); bedrest and continuous efm for two hours after insertion, then ambulation ad lib depending on the Dr. IV once active labor begins. VS q hour, which I also think is excessive since most of these inductions are started at midnight. I think we do too many cervidil inductions also, especially with primips....who seem to end up with c/s 75% of the time after cervidil induction.

Ok....you MUST continuously monitor patients with cerividil. MUST. This is a time release prostiglandin and is considered INDUCTION, even though it is cerivical ripening. There is no defense for you if you do not continuosly monitor. Yes it seems excessive, but you have medication that can cause hyperstim and subsequently may cause some fetal issues. Be very careful if you policy does not include this. There are a handful of obscene multi-million dollar lawsuits involving cervidil and no monitoring.

We have a similar policy, but no q1 hour VS (why?). There is no evidence based practice for such frequent VS when using cerividil or pitocin. Its just more work. We do chart, but q30mins, unless there is something going on...labor starts, hyperstim or some other variant. We do allow clear liquids and I take that cervidil out and let them get up and shower, and I advise a nice walk, because they will be lashed to the bed for the rest of the day.

Cervidil is one of those things that if it isn't placed correctly, it does nothing. Too many time the doc comes in and just pushes it up there, and you know it is no where NEAR that posterior fornix. It is a waste of time and money if you ask me. I rather like the foley bulb...patients can ambulate and not be monitored as much, and actually get rest the night before the pitocin.

We've had enough incidents with cervidil that our policy requires NS lock prior to insertion. BR for 2 hours after insertion. Policy says intermitent monitoring, but we've had enuf trouble that many of us insist on continuous monitoring throughout the night. I do VS at beginning of shift then when they get up to void sometime closer to morning.

We remove cervidil if fetal distress, SROM (if the doctor actually believes you when you call her and tell her the pt had SROM :angryfire ) or active labor begins.

This is quite an interesting thread! Can you help me out with some of the acronyms.....like what is SCROM, BR, VS, NS lock.....??

SROM is spontaneous rupture of membranes

BR is bathroom

VS means vital signs

NS means normal saline

Lock refers to a saline lock, which is established IV access (with no fluids running at the time)

We don't use cervidil either place I work, so I am sorry, I can't help the OP. Good answers here I see. Good luck.

First of all Cervidil MUST be refridgerated until right before placement. We obtain baseline nst, confirm vertex presentation, either cx check, leopolds, or sono. Then after cervidil placement NPO x 2 hrs then may eat until MN. Most of our cervidils come in at 5pm or 7-8 pm. We place the cervidil, monitor x 2 hrs, feed them, then NPO after Mn with continuous EFM VS not q1h but at least q4 or more often if something is going on. We find that alot of our Pts deliver on the night shift 7P-7A. It is a good induction tool if the pt is a good candidate. As are most induction tools.

Some Dr will let their pt be off the monitor 2 hr post cervidil, but untimately it's up to the L and D nurse who is caring for that pt

Hope this helps.

BR is bathroom

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I guess this is why JCAHO and many others are getting excited about abbreviations. One acronym has several meanings, oftentimes.

Our policy doesn't really differ from what others already stated. We do have a few docs who will order intermittent monitoring with cervidil, most don't though. However, more often than not it ends up being continuous monitoring.