title: Is post-partum oxygen inhalation useful for reducing vaginal blood loss during the third and fourth stages of labour? A randomised controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of oxygen inhalation after delivery in reducing vaginal blood loss during the third and fourth stages of labour.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective randomised trial, 450 women undergoing vaginal delivery who did not have risk factors for post-partum haemorrhage were randomly assigned to receive either 8 L/min O(2) via a face mask for 2 h (n = 214) or normally breathe room air after the delivery (n = 216). The oxygen was given to the women after delivering their babies. Active management of the third stage of labour was used in both groups. The primary outcome was mean blood loss during the third and fourth stages of labour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in demographic or clinical characteristics were observed between groups. The mean estimated blood loss at the third and fourth stages of labour did not significantly differ between the control and oxygen-inhalation groups (294.5 ± 179.7 vs 273.4 ± 146.6 mL, respectively; P = 0.18). In addition, there was no significant difference in the proportion of women who experienced an estimated blood loss >500 mL or the percentage of women who needed additional uterotonic agents (11 [5.1%] vs 9 [4.2%], respectively; RR 1.2 95% CI 0.5-2.8; P = 0.82 and 12 [5.6%] vs 8 [3.7%], respectively; RR 1.4 95% CI 0.6-3.5; P = 0.49).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-partum oxygen inhalation is not beneficial for reducing vaginal blood loss during the third and fourth stages of labour.
authors.affiliation: Mardin Women and Children Hospital, Mardin, Turkey. maidenkemal@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Güngördük
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Asicioğlu
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Ozgu C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Gungorduk
authors.forename: Berhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Besimoglu
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ark
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D001810:Blood Volume; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007749:Labor Stage, Third; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult