question with oxytocin meds

[veleron]

can someone please help me understand about oxytocin i was just researching about oxytocin and i know that it is used to help in the contraction of the uterus and thus inducing labor...

what i don't understand is that why is it used to treat or prevent postpartal hemorrhage?

i tried to research it in my pharmacologic book but it doesn't explain the process..it only says that it prevents bleeding..i tried researching in the internet but i can't find any good sites that can explain ocytocin...

whats bugging me is that...if oxytocin is used for the contraction of the uterus then it is only possible that it can also cause postpartal bleeding due to the contractions right?? so why is it the opposite?? why can it prevent hemorrhage?

can someone please explain of give me some sites for it please...i really want to understand it...thanks

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Think of it like any other bleed. In order to stop the bleed, you apply pressure. Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract, thereby squeezing the bleeding vessels shut.

At least, this was what I learned in nursing school, so if I'm wrong, please feel free to jump in and correct me!

Here's an interesting article that does help to explain what causes postpartum hemorrhage and why oxytocin via contractions can help stop it.

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC481.HTM

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Above poster explained it very well!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

normal: after giving birth, contraction of the uterus closes off most of the bleeding vessels in the uterus. this is why the fundus gets hard. lochia is the combination of blood, mucus and tissue discharge emanating from the uterus following delivery for approximately 3 weeks.

abnormal: uterine atony (failure of the uterus to contract). hemorrhage is more likely to occur with certain conditions such as twins, multiparity, when assistive devices were used to deliver the baby, when manual removal of the placenta was done, there was placenta previa/accreta, dic, or drugs such as oxytocin were given to stimulate labor. the uterine muscle fails to contract. with nothing to stop the bleeding, hemorrhage occurs. medical treatment is to give uterotonic medications such as oxytocin, ergotrate and carboprost (a prostaglandin) in an attempt to cause the uterine muscle to contract and in so doing, internally compress the bleeding vessels and stop them from losing their fluid contents into the uterine cavity. in other words, it is an attempt to get the uterus to perform its normal job after birth--contraction. surgical treatment is hysterectomy.

• http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3568.htm - postpartum hemorrhage
  
• http://www.fpnotebook.com/ob/bleed/pstprtmhmrhg.htm - postpartum hemorrhage
  
• http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec18/ch264/ch264m.html - postpartum hemorrhage
  
• http://www.brooksidepress.org/products/military_obgyn/pharmacy/oxytocin.htm
  
• http://www.brooksidepress.org/products/military_obgyn/pharmacy/ergonovine.htm

these links were all found by using the ob websites and others on this thread:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/medical-disease-information-treatment-procedures-test-reference-websites-258109.html - medical disease information/treatment/procedures/test reference websites

[veleron]

thank you all for the reply....i misinterpreted the word contraction so that made me very confused now i understand that contraction can lead to vasoconstriction and vasconstriction can prevent hemorrhage ^^ thanks to all who replied