Oxytocin to Start or Advance Labour: 5 Questions to Ask Patient Resource and User Guide
Did you know that the number of pregnant individuals that gave birth in Canada in 2019 was over 379,000?
This life-changing experience involves many emotions and experiences with healthcare providers. Including the pregnant person in the decision-making is vital, including when the labour and birth does not happen according to the plan.
To help pregnant persons and families make informed decisions during labour and birth, HIROC was excited to partner with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Canada and pan-Canadian patient safety and clinical experts and patients to develop Oxytocin to Start or Advance Labour: 5 Questions to Ask Patients Resource and User Guide.
Intravenous (IV) oxytocin is a widely available pharmaceutical agent commonly used for the induction and augmentation of labour. Due to a heightened risk of causing significant harm when used incorrectly, oxytocin was classified as one of ISMP’s “high-alert medications."
From a safety and risk perspective, mismanagement of IV oxytocin is HIROC’s second-highest ranked risk for acute care organizations and is one of HIROC’s 2020 – 2022 patient safety indicators.
The Oxytocin to Start or Advance Labour: 5 Questions to Ask Patient Resource was designed to provide the pregnant individual with questions and answers about IV oxytocin, including information about the risks and benefits to the pregnant person and fetus.
The tool supplements the conversations between the pregnant person and their healthcare providers and is not a substitute for informed consent discussions.
A supplementary guide was created to support healthcare providers and organizations implement and evaluate the patient-focused resource in their settings.
See Our Expert Panel Discussion
In collaboration with ISMP Canada and members of the advisory panel, HIROC hosted a Talk with HIROC LinkedIn Live session on July 14, 2021, discussing the Oxytocin guide and the importance of maternal-neonatal care.