A descriptive study of healthcare-providers’ experiences with the use and quality of oxytocin for the prevention of post-partum hemorrhage in Nigeria: A nation-wide survey

BACKGROUND: Oxytocin is recommended as an affordable and effective drug in the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage—one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries, however, there are concerns about its proper use and quality. This study builds on earlier work conducted in a South-Western state in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: The study assessed the knowledge around oxytocin, usage, storage practices and perceived quality of oxytocin used by healthcare providers that directly administer oxytocin for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage across Nigeria. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that surveyed a representative sample of 6,299 healthcare providers who offer obstetrics and gynecological services and recruited from 1,894 healthcare facilities in Public and Private sectors in 12 states across Nigeria. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire, analyzed using SPSS, and presented in frequencies and percentages. RESULTS: Only forty-six percent of respondents (52.8% in private; 40.0% in public sector) had proper knowledge that oxytocin storage is in the refrigerator. Proper knowledge also varied by professional cadre, doctors (71.2%); nurses (46.6%); Community Health Workers (28.4%) and by years of experience, less than 10 years (51.4%); more than 10 years (40.8%). Only 34% of the respondents (41% in private and 27.5% in public sector) reported good practices that oxytocin is stored in the refrigerator in their facilities. Most healthcare providers used oxytocin for prevention of PPH (77.9%). Oxytocin was also used for augmentation (66.7%) and induction of labor (52.6%). Half of respondents used above the WHO-recommended oxytocin dose of 10IU for prevention of PPH. Twenty-three percent of respondents reported experiencing oxytocin failure in PPH prevention of whom, 54.3% changed to another uterotonic and 37.1% doubled the dose of oxytocin for their patients. CONCLUSION: Our study findings should be used to establish clinical guidelines and trainings for healthcare providers to improve their knowledge and storage practices and use to safeguard the quality of these lifesaving medicines.