Premium
UTERINE ACTION AFTER INDUCTION OF LABOUR WITH ORAL PROSTAGLANDIN E 2 TABLETS COMPARED WITH INTRAVENOUS OXYTOCIN
Author(s) -
Elder M. G.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1975.tb00705.x
Subject(s) - oxytocin , medicine , prostaglandin e2 , prostaglandin , basal (medicine) , uterine contraction , anesthesia , uterus , insulin
Summary Uterine action throughout the whole of labour induced by low amniotomy and either oral prostaglandin E 2 tablets or intravenous oxytocin was studied in 10 randomly matched pairs of patients. Oral prostaglandin E 2 tablets induced fewer contractions per hour, and these contractions were longer and more variable in length than those induced by intravenous oxytocin. There was no difference in basal uterine tone or in the amplitude of contractions. A comparison was made between the outcome of labour induced by low amniotomy and either oral prostaglandin E 2 tablets 0.5 mg. hourly in 65 patients, or intravenous oxytocin in 41 patients. This dose of prostaglandin E 2 tablets was an inadequate adjunct to low amniotomy in nulliparous patients. Despite this, the induction‐delivery interval for the whole prostaglandin group was not significantly greater than that for the oxytocin group. There were no significant differences in fetal heart rate pattern, or in the incidence of gastro‐intestinal side‐effects between the two groups.