OB uterotonics
Medication class detail with safety cues and nursing action focus.
OB / Newbornneeds review
OB uterotonics
Examples: oxytocin, methylergonovine, carboprost, misoprostol
Mechanism
Stimulates uterine contraction to support labor or clamp down bleeding after birth.
Used for
- Labor induction/augmentation
- Postpartum hemorrhage prevention or treatment
Side effects
- Tachysystole
- Fetal distress during labor
- Water intoxication with oxytocin
- Hypertension with methylergonovine
Nursing actions
- Monitor contraction pattern, fetal heart rate, and maternal status.
- Stop oxytocin and reposition/oxygenate per protocol for tachysystole or nonreassuring tracing.
- Assess uterine tone and bleeding after birth.
Hold / question cues
- Nonreassuring fetal tracing
- Tachysystole
- Hypertension before methylergonovine
Antidote / reversal
- No routine class-specific antidote or reversal agent is seeded for this class; hold/question unsafe doses, support ABCs, notify the provider, and use facility or poison-control guidance for toxicity.
NCLEX pearl
- Oxytocin: contract the uterus, but protect fetal oxygenation first.