EPIGASTRIC PAIN AFTER INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF OXYTOCIN IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING LOWER SEGMENT CESAREAN SECTION

Main Article Content

Dr Shahida Hashim Marwat
Dr Aftab Khursheed
Dr Hina Akhtar
Dr Naveed Alam
Dr Raishem
Dr Attaullah

Keywords

Epigastric pain, oxytocin, cesarean section, primiparity, BMI, pain management.

Abstract

Background: Epigastric discomfort is a frequent, but often missed, consequence of intravenous oxytocin delivery after a lower segment caesarean surgery. Despite its widespread use in inducing labour and preventing postpartum haemorrhage, oxytocin may have unfavourable side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. This study looks into how common epigastric pain is and what causes it in this clinical setting.


Objective: To find out how common epigastric pain is and what factors can predict it in people who are having LSCS.


Methods: This prospective observational research was carried out over three months at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. There were 243 women between the ages of 18 and 40 who underwent LSCS. Individuals with documented gastrointestinal diseases, those using drugs that interfere with gastrointestinal motility, and those who are oxytocin hypersensitive were not allowed to participate in the study. Following delivery, oxytocin (10 IU) was injected intravenously, and the frequency of epigastric discomfort was noted. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to measure how bad the pain was. In order to find independent predictors of pain, data were analysed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses using SPSS version 26.


Results: 24% of patients said they had pain in the epigastric area. The mean duration was 12.6 minutes (SD ± 3.4), and the mean onset time was 3.8 minutes (SD ± 1.5). Primiparous women were more likely to have pain (30%) than multiparous women (15%). A higher body mass index was also linked to more pain (p=0.04). Primaparity (AOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.4, p=0.01) and greater BMI (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.1, p=0.04) were shown to be significant predictors by multivariate analysis. Nausea was observed in 12% of patients, followed by vomiting in 5%.


Conclusion: The research concluded that when oxytocin was administered to LSCS patients, there was a noteworthy incidence of epigastric discomfort. Women with a higher body mass index and those who are primiparous are at an increased risk. These results show that to improve patient outcomes, pain management plans need to be tailored to groups of people who are at a high risk.

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