Oral misoprostol (100 microg) versus vaginal misoprostol (25 microg) in term labor induction: a randomized comparison.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of vaginal misoprostol (25 microg) to oral misoprostol (100 microg) in labor induction at term.


METHODS
One hundred and one women at term, with indications for labor induction and cervical Bishop's scores of less than 8, were randomly assigned to receive 100 microg of oral misoprostol or 25 microg vaginal misoprostol after random allocation. This could be repeated every 4 h to a maximum of five doses. The number delivering vaginally within 24 h of the induction was the main outcome measure.


RESULTS
Of those who delivered vaginally (74.5% in the oral group vs. 72% in the vaginal group), significantly fewer women delivered within 24 h of induction in the oral group (42.1% vs. 72.2%, RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9), with more women receiving more than one dose (45.7% vs. 16.7%, RR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.0). More women in the oral group received oxytocin (68.6% vs. 44%, RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.2), and the induction to delivery interval was shorter in the vaginal group, although this was not statistically significant [28.9 h (SD 20.2) vs. 20.6 h (SD 16.1), mean difference - 8.3 h, 95% CI - 16.8 to 0.2]. There were no differences in the modes of delivery, uterine hyperstimulation rates or in the neonatal outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Vaginal misoprostol in its currently recommended dose of 25 microg seems to be more efficacious than the 100 microg oral dose.
Shetty
Ashalatha
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. a.shetty@abdn.ac.uk
Livingstone
Iona
I
Acharya
Santanu
S
Rice
Pat
P
Danielian
Peter
P
Templeton
Allan
A
D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000187:drug effects*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012016:Reference Values; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016595:Misoprostol