Postpartum Oxygen Inhalation for the Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2010-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In the aetiology of postpartum uterine atony, hypoxia is considered an important factor
although some suggest that peripheral oxygen saturation is not influenced by oxygen
inhalation in women during the first and second stages of labor. Enhancing oxygen delivery to
myometrium through additional inhaled oxygen may improve uterine contractions. Therefore, it
is reasonable to consider that oxygen inhalation may promote myometrial contraction and
prevent postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) due to uterine atony. The tendency for the uterus to
relax in women encountering respiratory problems immediately after cesarean section under
general anaesthesia further strengthened this theory.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oxygen inhalation immediately
after vaginal delivery on blood loss. The investigators hypothesized that inhaled oxygen
helps to maintain uterine retraction during immediate postpartum period and hence reduces
vaginal blood loss.