Cardiovascular effects of oxytocin and carbetocin at cesarean section. A prospective double-blind randomized study using noninvasive pulse wave analysis.

Background: Oxytocin is routinely administered after delivery for prophylaxis and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage, but it is associated with considerable cardiovascular side-effects. Carbetocin, a synthetic oxytocin analogue, has a myometrial contraction effect of 60 min when given IV, compared with 16 min for oxytocin.

Objective: To investigate whether there are differences in cardiovascular effects between oxytocin and carbetocin up to 1 h after treatment.

Effects of oxytocin and anaesthesia on vascular tone in pregnant women: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study using non-invasive pulse wave analysis.

Background: Oxytocin is an uterotonic drug with profound cardiovascular effects, which in compromised patients could lead to serious events. The objective was to investigate whether oxytocin affects cardiac function and vascular tone in large and small arteries. We hypothesized that oxytocin decreases arterial vascular tone and elevates cardiac output.

Pulse wave analysis by digital photoplethysmography to record maternal hemodynamic effects of spinal anesthesia, delivery of the baby, and intravenous oxytocin during cesarean section.

Objective: To investigate changes in maternal ECG ST index, blood pressure (BP), cardiac left ventricular (LV) ejection function and vascular tone/stiffness in large and small arteries occurring during elective cesarean section (CS) in spinal anesthesia.

Material And Methods: Twenty-six women were monitored with photoplethysmographic digital pulse wave (PW) analysis (DPA) before and after spinal anesthesia, after delivery of the baby, after 5 IU oxytocin bolus IV, and 5 min later. Statistics with Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank and Friedman tests at a p < 0.