Abstract
The effects of oxytocin on hemodynamics consists of a systemic vasodilatation with decrease in the maternal blood pressure, increase in the cardiac output, increase in pulmonary artery pressure and heart rate resulting in marked but short-lived tachycardia and hypotension during caesarean section. Nevertheless the infusion technique of oxytocin is safe under both spinal and general anesthesia. The objective of this study was to study the changes in hemodynamic parameters caused by oxytocin given as 5 IU intravenous (i.v.) bolus and 10 IU i.v. infusion during caesarean section. A total of 50 women received oxytocin (5 IU i. v. bolus and 10 IU i. v. infusion), their blood pressure and heart rate were monitored at 1, 5, 10 and 30 minutes. Women who required oxy-tocin during cesarean aged 17-25 years (38.0%) were more than women aged 31-35 years (24.0%), followed by age group 36-40 years (18%). The mean HR at baseline, 1, 5 and 10 minutes was 89.04±15.59, 89.80±14.60, 89.12±18.77 respectively, however difference was statistically significant (95.34±15.81) at 30 minutes. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) at baseline was 130.8±22.14 and changed at 1, 5, 10 and 30 minutes as 129.10±26.16, 117.68±25.44, 114.82±19.85 and 123.44±16.31 respectively. Also the mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after one minute was 79.26±12.47 and decreased at 5 and 10 minutes to 70.42±20.41 and 65.50±14.68 respectively but returned to 75.06±14.06 at 30 minutes. To conclude, the means difference of the hemodynamic parameters, at baseline to 30 minutes of oxytocin administration were highly statistically significant (p<0.05).