Cervical Priming With Oral Misoprostol in Pre-Labor Rupture of Membranes at Term

TLDR

The study aimed to assess whether oral misoprostol effectively primes the cervix in term patients with pre‑labor rupture of membranes. Eighty term patients with pre‑labor rupture of membranes were randomized to receive 200 µg misoprostol or 50 mg vitamin B6 orally, and if labor did not commence within 12 h, induction was initiated with intravenous oxytocin while the groups were compared on induction rate, labor duration, delivery mode, and leaking‑to‑delivery interval. Misoprostol significantly improved cervical scores, lowered induction rates, and shortened the intervals to labor onset, labor duration, and delivery, with no difference in delivery mode or perinatal outcomes, confirming its efficacy as a cervical priming and labor‑induction agent.

Abstract

To investigate the effectiveness of oral misoprostol as a cervical priming agent for patients presenting with pre-labor rupture of membranes at term. Eighty patients presenting with pre-labor rupture of membranes at term were randomized to receive either 200 μg of misoprostol or 50 mg of vitamin B6 orally 1 hour after admission. Labor was induced with intravenous oxytocin infusion 12 hours after oral medication if the patient did not go into labor. We compared the induction rate, duration of labor, mode of delivery, and leaking-to-delivery interval in the two groups. The cervical score was significantly improved and the induction rate was also reduced in the misoprostol group when compared with the control group. The interval from recruitment to onset of labor, duration of labor, and the interval from recruitment to delivery were significantly shorter in the misoprostol group. The mode of delivery and the perinatal outcome were similar for the two groups. Oral misoprostol is an effective agent for cervical priming and labor induction in patients with prelabor rupture of membranes at term.