Mehwish Anjum, Nilofar Mustafa, Qurratulain Mushtaq, Pakeza Aslam, Saima Qamar, Riffat Sarwar.
Comparison of frequency of abnormal fetal heart rate in continuous versus discontinuous use of oxytocin infusion for augmentation of labour.
Pak Armed Forces Med J Jan ;71(3):836-39.

Objective: To compare the frequency of abnormal fetal heart rate in continuous versus discontinuous use of oxytocin infusion for augmentation of labour. Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Combined Military Hospital Lahore, from Feb to Aug 2018. Methodology: After fulfilling the inclusion criteria, 76 patients were equally divided in two groups A and B. In both groups, at 3 cm dilatation, intravenous infusion of 5 IU oxytocin in 500 cc normal saline was initiated at infusion rate 3.3mIU/minute Carditocography was initiated 10 minutes before infusion and then continued. An increment in infusion of 3.3mIU/minute was done every 20 minutes till 4 to 5 contractions in 10 minutes were achieved. After this, no more increment was done. The maximum rate was 30mIU/minute. Once cervix was 5 cm dilated, infusion was continued in group A and discontinued in group B for 2 hours. Fetal heart rate was noted on cardiotocography from 20 minutes before initiation of infusion till 2 hours after 5cm. Results: Age of the patients was 25.4 ± 3.5 years in group A and 26.1 ± 2.4 years in group B. Mean gestation age was 39.2 ± 1.1 weeks in group A and 38.6 ± 1.3 weeks in group B. Group A had significantly more abnormal fetal heart rate compared to group B (p=0.016). Conclusion: Discontinuous oxytocin infusion in labor showed significantly less abnormal fetal heart rate compared to continuous oxytocin infusion (p=0.016).

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