title: Oxytocin-induced uterine hypercontractility pressure wave forms.
abstract: To identify similarities and differences between uterine contractions in patients with spontaneous labor, oxytocin-corrected hypocontractility, and oxytocin-induced hypercontractility, measurements were made of specific characteristics of the intrauterine wave form, including pressure, rate of change of pressure, and duration. Contractions from oxytocin-treated patients differed from contractions of those with spontaneous labor in their disproportionately high rates of rise of the pressure. The time to reach the maximum rate of the pressure--the start-up time--was reduced in oxytocin-induced hypercontractility. The data demonstrate that the contractions of spontaneous labor and oxytocin-augmented labor are not identical, and the physiologic implications are discussed.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011312:Pressure; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin