EARLY VERSUS DELAYED LABOUR INDUCTION FOLLOWING PRELABOUR RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES AT TERM

Objectives: to compare both maternal and fetal outcome in patients with confirmed pre labour ruputur of membranes (PROM) at term after early induction of labour shortly after the rupture of membranes (within 6 hours) versus delayed induction 24 hours after expectant management of PROM. Patients and methods: This study was conducted in Al-Azhar university hospital (Damietta) from June 2010 through May 2011 as a randomized comparative interventional study on 100 patients with confirmed PROM at term 37 to 41 weeks gestation. These patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group (1): 50 patients where labour was induced within 6 hours after rupture of the membranes. Group (2): 50 patients who did not go into spontaneous labour 24 hours after expectant management of labour when labour was then induced. Each pregnant woman included in the study was subjected to the followings: full history taking (personal and gynecological); general examination, abdominal examination, vaginal examination and investigations which included abdominal ultrasound, CTG and complete blood count. Results: Latent period in immediate group, it ranged from 2 to 21 hours with a mean of 8.9±5.5 hours while in expectant group, it ranged from 3 to 40 hours with a mean of 16.1±9.9 hours. In addition, interval period in immediate group ranged from 7 to 33 hour