OB poster presentation

Name of topic and population affected:

Nitrous oxide during labor
Laboring women or women undergoing post labor procedures, such as laceration
repair.
Presented evidenced-based nursing actions (at least 2) related to this
topic.
Assess patient for responsiveness, airway patency, ventilation, and cardiovascular
function while using nitrous oxide.
Use a blender device with a scavenger for safety.
Assess for side effects, such as vertigo and nausea.
Ensure that the patient is the only one applying the mask to herself and that the
mask is not strapped to the face.
Assess pain level throughout labor and/or procedure.
Provide a brief example of a patient situation that you imagine would
benefit from the evidenced-based information your group gained and
support this example with the key concepts you gained from your article
(at least 2) and from this course (at least 2).
Case study: A new mother is undergoing manual removal of placenta after a natural
birth. She would rather not use narcotics and did not have an epidural during the
labor, but wants a safe method of analgesia during the procedure.
Nitrous oxide is a safe and effective form of pain control for all three stages of labor,
as well as during post labor procedures such as laceration repair, manual removal of
placenta, and uterine curettage (Collins et al., 2012). Nitrous oxide use goes back to
1772 and was first used during labor in 1881. Combinations of 80% N2O and 20%
O2, as well as 50% N2O and 50% O2 have been found to be safe for both mother
and infant, with no demonstration of fetal abnormalities. It opens up options for
laboring women as far as available analgesic measures.
Reference:
Collins, M.R., Starr, S.A., Bishop, J.T., & Baysinger, C.L. (2012). Nitrous oxide for labor
analgesia: Expanding analgesic options for women in the United States. Reviews in
Obstetrics and Gynecology, 5(3-4), 126-131. Retrieved from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3594866/