The use of D5W as a dilutant, especially at high levels of oxytocin administration can cause iatrogenic hyponatremia. Because oxytocin can act like a antidiuretic, sodium will become diluted (dilutional hyponatremia) and could lead to water intoxication, especially at high levels of oxytocin administration rates. There is also a significantly lower sodium levels in newborn umbilical cords.
The use of 0.45% NaCl currently has no significance in use with oxytocin.
Standardization would ensure that nurses from any facility would be using the same dilutant and any nurse from any facility would be assured not to cause harm to mother and fetus. This standardization would help reduce the risks of hyponatremia in women and concurrent problems in newborns.
Nurses could feel more confident, in an area of high risk to mother and fetus such as labor induction, that the IV fluid that they mix the oxytocin in will not cause undue harm. |
