Uterotonic Agents

Postpartum haemorrhage due to uterine atony is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Different control strategies have been postulated, especially during the third stage of labour, but the gold standard treatment is the use of uterotonic drugs. There are currently three well-defined groups of drugs: oxytocics, ergot derivatives and prostaglandins. Although the literature is heterogeneous, it is clear that oxytocin is the uterotonic of choice in both prophylaxis and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. Detailed knowledge of protocols based on current evidence is mandatory, which vary according to the different medical societies and dictate the doses and order of administration of different drugs.