hemabate side effects to nurses

[adpiRN]

The other day I administered hemabate. Later I threw the vial out without gloves on and got a drop on my finger. I swear it made me feel weird. Tingling and numbing on my finger where it touched and a little lightheaded afterwards. It's been 2 days and I still swear my finger feels a little strange or numb.

I don't know if this it related to hemabate or not, but I'm going to make sure I wear gloves next time I handle anything the hemabate touched!

Anyone else experienced this?

[mn_nurse]

I don't doubt that what you are experiencing may be related to the medication. I work in an area where I would never use this med. But I did look it up, and the side effects of this med are pretty scary:

Vomiting, Nervousness, Diarrhea, Nosebleed, Nausea, Sleep disorders, Flushing or hot flashes, Dyspnea, Chills, or shivering, Tightness in chest, Coughing, Wheezing, Headaches, Posterior cervical perforation, Endometritis, Weakness, Hiccough, Diaphoresis, Dysmenorrhea-like pain, Dizziness, Paresthesia, Blurred vision, Backache, Epigastric pain, Muscular pain, Excessive thirst, Breast tenderness, Twitching eyelids, Eye pain, Gagging, retching, Drowsiness, Dry throat, Dystonia, Sensation of choking, Asthma, Thyroid storm, Injection site pain, Syncope, Tinnitus, Palpitations, Vertigo, Rash, Vaso-vagal syndrome, Upper respiratory infection, Dryness of mouth, Leg cramps, Hyperventilation, Perforated uterus, Respiratory distress, Anxiety, Hematemesis, Chest pain, Taste alterations, Retained placental fragment, Urinary tract infection, Shortness of breath, Septic shock, Fullness of throat, Torticollis, Uterine sacculation, Lethargy, Faintness, light-headedness, Hypertension, Uterine rupture, Tachycardia, Pulmonary edema, Endometritis from IUCD

http://www.rxlist.com/hemabate-drug.htm

[manncer]

Seems entirely unlikely, even if your skin was cut or abraded.

Don't let MN Nurse's post scare you, these are from IV use.

[RNRutRO]

Never heard of the drug, so looked it up. Interesting. How do you monitor a patient after you gave the injection. Did you personally have feelings about giving it.

Just curious.

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

I'm not an OB nurse, but if I remember right, it's the third drug they use if a mom is bleeding. You worry about side effects, but more about stopping the bleeding. The next step is OR, so the hope is that the hemabate works.

[NurseNora, BSN, RN]

Rectal cytotec is much cheaper and seems to have less side effects. Any drug that is developed especially for OB use is going to be very expensive because of the extensive testing. But my major objection to Hemabate is the massive Code Brown (diarrehea) that almost always follows the Hemabate.

I've used it and it does stop PP hemorrhage very quickly most of the time. I've gotten it on me and have had none of the effects you mention. It's just a strong prostaglandin.

[rdnkmommy]

When we administer it in L&D we give Lomotil too, anyway to avoid that code brown!!

[RNRutRO]

Is it given to in place of an abortion? Or instead of a D&C.

I know nothing about L&D other than what we had in school.

[adpiRN]

we give it to stop excessive bleeding after delivery. It helps contract down the uterus.

[RNRutRO]

thanks for the info. How are you feeling now?