title: A comparison of oral and vaginal misoprostol for induction of labor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy and safety of oral (100 microg) and vaginal (50 microg) misoprostol for labor induction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine patients with indications for labor induction randomly received 100 microg oral misoprostol every 4 h or 50 microg vaginal misoprostol every 4 h, using maximum six doses. Mean induction to delivery interval, mode of delivery, rates of tachysystole, hypertonus and hyperstimulation syndrome, oxytocin use, number of doses used, failed induction rate and neonatal outcomes were compared for the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean dose of misoprostol used for oral and vaginal misoprostol groups were 2.17+/-1.35 and 1.91+/-0.94, respectively (p=0.65). There were two failed inductions in the oral (4%) and one failed induction (2.5%) in the vaginal group after a total of six doses of misoprostol (p=0.58). There was no significant difference for the mean induction to delivery interval, to the beginning of active phase interval, active phase duration, second stage duration and the number of women who received oxytocin for induction or augmentation between the two groups (p>0.05). There were also no significant differences for intrapartum complications and neonatal outcomes between the oral and vaginal misoprostol groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that, in a closely supervised hospital setting with adequate monitoring, 100 microg oral misoprostol has the potential to induce labor as safely and effectively as its 50 microg vaginal analogue. As oral use of the drug is easier for both the patient and the doctor, oral misoprostol will probably be more preferable than the vaginal route.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, University of Istanbul, 7-8 Kisim, L1-D, D:30, 34750 Ataköy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seyfettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uludag
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salihoglu Saricali
authors.forename: Riza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madazli
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cepni
mesh_terms: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D016595:Misoprostol; D010121:Oxytocin