Clinical Review
How to manage emergencies associated with tocolysis for preterm labor
Although short-term tocolysis usually is safe, certain agents and scenarios may increase the risk of harm. Here, four cases involving serious...
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Robert L. Barbieri, MD (Editorial, August 2013)
ADJUST YOUR PRACTICE
Management of labor is a clinical art, requiring the integration of many diverse pieces of information, including the medical conditions affecting the parturient, the strength and frequency of uterine contractions, the physical characteristics of the birth canal, the size and position of the fetus, status of the membranes, and assessment of the fetal physiologic state. The bottom line of the Zhang report2 is that 21st Century labor has a pace that is slower than the pace reported by Friedman1 based on data from the mid-20th Century. Adjust your practice to integrate these new labor progress norms into your decision making.
INSTANT POLL
Do you favor the use of amniotomy and early oxytocin administration in the management of normal labor?
Tell us—at rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com
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