Blood Transfusion in the War of 1939-45
Blood Transfusion in the War of 1939-45
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1939-45 年战争中的输血
DOI:
10.1136/bmj.2.4520.309-b
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发表时间:
1947
影响因子:
--
通讯作者:
R. Binning
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
R. Binning
Intravenous Ergometrine for Retained Placenta SIR,-" Removal of Placenta" receives a full and useful answer in the" Any Questions?" column (Aug. 2, p. 195). May I, however, comment on the use of intravenous ergometrine for placental expulsion? When this substance was first isolated careful experiment was made to ascertain the optimum dosage. It was found that a dose of 0.25 mg. or more by intravenous injection produced, for a few minutes, undesirable side-effects. For that reason 0.125 mg. was recommended-a dose that appeared adequate for therapeutic purposes. Subsequent experience, however, has shown that no serious ill-effect is caused if, in an emergency, 0.25 mg. is given. This dosage now seems to have become well established; indeed, it is by this dose and by this route that ergometrine is most effectively administered. However, to double this already large dose by giving 0.5 mg., as advised in the answer, seems to be unnecessary; it will certainly result in side-effects such as dizziness, a feeling of weight and loss of power in the limbs, and possibly vomiting. The 0.5 mg. dose should be reserved for intramuscular injection. With reference to the injection in retained placenta it is stated:" If, however, the placenta does not come away at once, manual removal has to be carried out without delay." Elsewhere are the words:" Even if an hour-glass contraction should result it can be dealt with at leisure once the haemorrhage is controlled." Of these conflicting statements I submit that it is the second that should be accepted, for clearly nothing is gained by a forceful removal of a placenta from a tightly contracted uterus. The chief benefit of ergometrine lies in its ability to convert a relaxed uterus into a'contracted uterus; and with that change the post-partum haemorrhage (assuming the bleeding is from the uterus itself) is arrested. Thus, the opportunity is given for the obstetrician to attend to the patient's general condition, to give blood transfusion if necessary, and, if the placenta does not come away, to prepare for the anaesthetic later requiredfor the operation of manual removal. If Crede expression is to succeed it must beperformed as soon as the fundus becomes hard, and before the lower part of the body contracts down in front of the placenta. If the expression fails an hour should be allowed to elapse, after which the uterus will in all likelihood be relaxing at intervals; and the extrac-tion of the placenta then becomes a relatively easy and safe operation.