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  3. eLearning and Simulation for Instrumental Delivery (EaSi)
  4. EaSi resource
  5. Reducing instrumental delivery rate
EaSi resource
  • Introduction
  • eTutor profile
  • Background
    • History
    • Operative delivery rates
    • Importance of instrumental delivery
    • Comparison with caesarean section
    • Requirements for training
    • Failed instrumental delivery
    • Reducing instrumental delivery rate
    • Further reading
    • Key points
  • Pelvic anatomy
  • Maternal and fetal assessment
  • Decision making
  • Preparing for instrumental delivery
  • Vacuum extraction
  • Forceps
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  • Complications and postoperative care
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Reducing instrumental delivery rate

How can we reduce the rate of instrumental delivery?

  • Ensure operative delivery is really necessary
  • One-to-one support in labour (especially birth partner)
  • Upright/lateral positions
  • Avoidance of epidural analgesia
  • Use of partograms
  • Consider oxytocin for primiparous women with inadequate contractions/prolonged second stage/epidural analgesia
  • Delayed pushing in primiparous women with epidurals.

Image of a pregnant woman black and white shadows.
Pregnant woman black and white shadows.jpg by Tom and Katrien / CC BY-SA 2.0


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