[Ambulant Management in Case of Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) at Term: Maternal and Perinatal Outcome]

Introduction: It is estimated that after premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at term, 60% of all women go into labour within 48 h, 95% within 72 h. Often labour is induced after 24 h because the risk of maternal and neonatal infection rises. The majority of clinicians advise hospital care to allow monitoring and detection of problems. But for low-risk patients who meet strict inclusion criteria, sometimes home management is possible. This study examines the safety and costs of home management. Material and Methods: We included 239 patients with PROM at term, 202 of them with hospital and 37 with home management. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were checked 12 h after PROM and were induced by the end of 24 h if labour had not begun spontaneously. Results: There were no differences in maternal or neonatal outcome. Women with home management were likely to spend less time in hospital and this was associated with reduced costs. Conclusion: Women with outpatient management of PROM had a shorter hospitalization stay without negative impact on maternal or fetal outcome. In times of increasing financial pressure on the medical system, outpatient management for PROM seems to be a viable option.