oxytocin and dehydration

[hvnzangel99]

If a patient is admitted for dehydration and due to flu-like symptoms 2 days prior to receiving oxytocin to induce her labor.... does her being dehydrated need to be taken into consideration?? the way i read somewhere that being dehydrated leads to decrease in volume which can lead to increase in oxytocin... soooo would the nurse even have to use oxytocin to induce labor??

[rachelgeorgina]

The nurse wouldn't be deciding how much oxytocin to prescribe the patient. That's not within a nurse's scope of practice. A doctor writes a prescription/orders medication. As a nurse, you check that it's a legal and appropriate order and give it safely.

[hvnzangel99]

I guess I didn't make myself clear, my apologies, there has already been an order to give oxytocin to induce labor--- but my question is, should the nurse even give the orders knowin that the patient is dehydrated? Should she tell the physician that she has to hold it due to the patient being dehydrated?

[CuriousMe]

I guess I didn't make myself clear, my apologies, there has already been an order to give oxytocin to induce labor--- but my question is, should the nurse even give the orders knowin that the patient is dehydrated? Should she tell the physician that she has to hold it due to the patient being dehydrated?

The patient is still dehydrated after being admitted for two days? Has she not been on IV fluids? If not why was she admitted?

[hvnzangel99]

I am assuming that the patient has been given iv fluids and electrolytes over the course of 2 days but this case study that was given doesn't mention that... I'm going to assume that it had been done. and if so, with the patient being rehydrated over the course of the two days... the oxytocin wouldn't be an issue correct?? i think i'm thinking too much into this...

[CuriousMe]

I am assuming that the patient has been given iv fluids and electrolytes over the course of 2 days but this case study that was given doesn't mention that... I'm going to assume that it had been done. and if so, with the patient being rehydrated over the course of the two days... the oxytocin wouldn't be an issue correct?? i think i'm thinking too much into this...

Off the top of my head, I don't know of dehydration as being a contraindication for oxytocin (I'd have to research that).

However, I would assume that someone admitted 2 days ago, who is otherwise healthy (ie no other chronic comorbidities onboard) to be rehydrated to reverse dehydration d/t flu-like symptoms....would be hydrated at this point in time.

I would of course look for things like blood pressure, skin tenting and status of mucus membranes to confirm this during my assessment.

[hvnzangel99]

Thank you Curious--- ya know sometimes i can stare at a case study and draw a blank and then question it out loud *ie putting it on message boards such as this* and get some input and then think to myself.. DUH!!! i KNEW this... it's almost nearing the end of the 2nd semester and my brain is fried .. LOL.... Thanks again!

[NurseLove816]

Just to clarify: When a woman is dehydrated ADH (antidiuretic hormone) and Oxytocin are released. For a woman in preterm labor you want to keep her as hydrated as you can not only to increase blood volume but also to keep oxytocin from being released, thus keeping the woman from going into labor early.

To Curiousme-- If you suspect a patient is dehydrated you can use tenting, mucous membranes, specific gravity or daily weights as indicators of dehydration. You never want to wait for a BP change to find that someone is dehydrated.