Article Notes
- A 40 IU oxytocin infusion over 30 minutes is uncommon practice in Australia. (This strikes me as a study used to disprove strange local obstetric dogma!)
- Investigating the benefits of a 5 IU bolus in addition to this is hardly likely to produce a significant effect, given this essentially compares 45 IU to 40 IU over ~35 minutes.
A fascinating historical article, both because of it's current relevance and the glimpse it provides of the exploration of a relatively new drug – along with tidbits regarding the safety of the technique:
"This is borne out by the fact that after many thousands of cases had been done, the first case of convulsions occurred. The intravenous Xylocaine had been increased to a very rapid rate and generalized convulsions ensued. For this case, all that was needed, was to stop the drip, supplement respiration with 100% oxygen and wait several minutes for the convulsion to subside. Thiopental sodium and succinylcholine chloride were at hand but not needed. However, it should be emphasized that this technique is not for the beginner."
I find this study a little perplexing:
40 IU over 30 minutes is an infusion with 'bolus-like' characteristics! 1.7 IU per minute!