Efficacy of Drotaverine in Comparison to Hyoscine Butylbromide in Augmentation of Labour

BACKGROUND: Contractility of the myometrium is usually diminished during pregnancy to accommodate and protect the growing products of conception; drugs like Hyoscine butylbromide and Drotaverine are used to shorten the duration of labor in many hospitals all over the world. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of intravenous Drotaverine and Hyoscine Butylbromide rectal suppository on duration of labour and rate of cervical dilatation. METHODS: Three hundred pregnant women with term pregnancy in active labour were selected by simple randomization and were divided into three groups: Group A, where injection Drotaverine intravenous was given; Group B, where Hyoscine Butylbromide rectal suppository was instilled; and in Group C, where no drug was given. RESULTS: Mean duration of first stage of labour was 179.1 min, 159.3 min and 299.0 min in groups A, B and C, respectively. Rate of cervical dilatation in groups A, B and C was 2.6, 2.9 and 2.0 cm/hr, respectively. Most of the subjects delivered vaginally. No serious side effects were noted in both the drug groups. CONCLUSION: Hyoscine Butylbromide is more effective than Drotaverine in reducing the duration of active phase of labour. There is a significant improvement in the rate of cervical dilatation with Hyoscine Butylbromide when compared to Drotaverine. JMS 2012;15(1):39-43.