Which medication is commonly used as a uterotonic to prevent postpartum hemorrhage after delivery?

• A. Oxytocin
• B. Magnesium sulfate
• C. Nifedipine
• D. Lidocaine

Answer: (A)

Maintaining strong uterine contractions after delivery is essential to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. Oxytocin stimulates the uterine smooth muscle to contract, which compresses the blood vessels at the placental site and reduces bleeding. Because of its effectiveness and safety profile, it is the first-line uterotonic used prophylactically right after birth, typically given as an injection or an infusion to sustain tone. The other substances have different roles—magnesium sulfate is used to prevent seizures in preeclampsia/eclampsia and can relax the uterus at higher doses; nifedipine is a tocolytic used to stop preterm contractions; lidocaine is a local anesthetic. So, oxytocin is the medication most commonly used to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.