Concurrent dinoprostone and oxytocin for labor induction in term premature rupture of membranes: a randomized controlled trial

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Oxytocin, published as a randomized controlled trial.

: To estimate the effect of concurrent vaginal dinoprostone and oxytocin infusion against oxytocin infusion for labor induction in premature rupture of membranes (PROM) on vaginal delivery within 12 hours and patient satisfaction.

Why It Was Studied

: Current Controlled Trials, www.controlled-trials.com, ISRCTN74376345.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as young adults and adults, women only.

: Nulliparas with uncomplicated PROM at term, a Bishop score less than or equal to 6, and who required labor induction were recruited for a double-blind randomized trial.

Participants were randomly assigned to 3-mg dinoprostone pessary and oxytocin infusion or placebo and oxytocin infusion.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Oxytocin group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received Oxytocin.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Oxytocin group a baseline to be compared against.

A cardiotocogram was performed before induction and maintained to delivery.

Dinoprostone pessary or placebo was placed in the posterior vaginal fornix.

Oxytocin infusion rate was titrated to achieve four contractions every 10 minutes.

Primary outcomes were vaginal delivery within 12 hours and maternal satisfaction with the birth process using a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10 (higher score, greater satisfaction).

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Administration, Intravaginal, Dinoprostone, Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes, Labor, Induced, Oxytocics, Oxytocin and Patient Satisfaction.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Oxytocin.

Its findings take up roughly 5 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2009 (Obstetrics and gynecology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page.