Do uterotonic drugs increase risk of abruptio placentae and eclampsia?

To determine whether the use of uterotonics, including oxytocin and prostaglandins, increases the risk of abruptio placentae and eclampsia. A retrospective analysis was conducted among 260,174 Japanese women at term. Demographic characteristics were studied as possible candidates for risk factors of abruptio placentae and eclampsia using multivariate logistic regression analyses. A total of 1,058 (0.41 %) and 147 (0.06 %) women developed abruptio placentae and eclampsia, respectively. Abruptio placentae and eclampsia occurred in 177 (0.29 %) and 42 (0.07 %) of the 61,857 women treated with uterotonics, respectively. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that uterotonics did not increase risk of developing either abruptio placentae or eclampsia. Primiparity [odds ratio (95 % confidence interval) 1.41 (1.24–1.60)], age ≥35 years [1.17 (1.03–1.33)], and presence of hypertension [2.42 (1.93–3.03)] were significant independent risk factors for abruptio placentae, while advancing gestation [0.67 (0.63–0.71)] decreased risk of abruptio placentae. Primiparity [odds ratio (95 % confidence interval) 4.06 (2.49–6.63)], age