Comparison of oral misoprostol and oxytocin for labor induction in prelabor rupture of membranes at term

Objective This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of oral misoprostol with oxytocin infusion for induction of labor in women with prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) at term. Background PROM at term is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. It is an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, particularly if it is associated with a prolonged latency period from membranes rupture to delivery. Patients and methods This prospective randomized study included 100 pregnant women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at El-Mahalla General Hospital presenting with PROM at term. The women were assigned randomly to one of the two equal groups (groups A or B): group A, which received 100 mg oral misoprostol every 4 h for a maximum of three doses, and group B, which received an intravenous infusion of oxytocin starting with a dose of 4 mU/min with an incremental increase of 4 mU/min every 30 min until a maximum dose of 32 mU/min. The primary outcome variable was time from induction to vaginal delivery. The secondary outcomes were mode of delivery, maternal, and neonatal outcomes. Results The study showed that the time intervals from induction to delivery were significantly shorter in the misoprostol group than in the oxytocin group (6.59 ± 1.91 and 9.30 ± 2.58 h, respectively; P Conclusion Oral misoprostol at a dose of 100 mg every 4 h was not only as successful as oxytocin for labor induction in women presenting with PROM at term but also reduced the duration of labor in nulliparous women. Oral misoprostol was safe in terms of maternal and neonatal outcomes.