title: Vaginal misoprostol induction of labour: a Nigerian hospital experience.
abstract: We reviewed our experience with vaginal misoprostol induction of labour in 339 consecutive women with a live fetus and intact fetal membrane using 100 mcg 12-hourly until labour was established. The labours were monitored using the WHO partograph protocol. Two hundred and sixty-five women had a successful induction while 74 had an emergency caesarean section because of cephalopelvic disproportion (63.5%), fetal distress (14.9%), prolonged labour (12.2%), antepartum haemorrhage (6.8%) and other indications (2.8%). The induction delivery interval among the women who had successful induction ranged from 3 hours 42 minutes to 26 hours 15 minutes with a mean of 9 hours 23 minutes (SD 2 hours 41 minutes). Most (73.6%) of these patients delivered within 12 hours of starting induction, the majority (95.3%) requiring only 100 mcg to go into established labour. Complications recorded in this series include fetal distress in 32 (9.4%), postpartum haemorrhage in 23 (6.8%), hyperstimulation in six (1.8%), uterine rupture in one (0.3%), birth asphyxia in eight (2.5%), admission in neonatal intensive care ward in five (1.5%), neonatal death in one (0.3%) and maternal death in one (0.3%) patient. In conclusion, misoprostol was found not only to be efficacious but relatively safe in comparison to other methods of induction in use in our hospital.
authors.affiliation: Havana Specialist Hospital, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. oezechi@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Ezechi
authors.forename: B K E
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kalu
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Njokanma
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Nwokoro
authors.forename: G C E
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Okeke
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008499:Medical Records; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010120:Oxytocics; D016595:Misoprostol