[Induction of labor with misoprostol]

The results obtained with the induction of labor with a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin E1: misoprostol, are presented. We reviewed 149 cases of patients admitted to this hospital (The "Policlínico Escuela Eva Perón") for induction of labor throughout a 13-month period of time since 06/01/92 until 06/30/93. All patients had a medical indication for induction of labor, a single pregnancy, cephalic - vertex presentation, no previous surgical scars on uterus, no contraindications for vaginal delivery, Bishop score below 7, gestational age over 37 weeks, and a reactive NST (Non Stress Test). Misoprostol was used intravaginally in the posterior fornix, in one dose of 100 mcg. In those patients where the spontaneous rupture of membranes was not the cause of induction itself, these were artificially ruptured at the moment of admission if possible depending on obstetric conditions, or no longer than 2 hours afterward. All patients underwent continuous fetal hart rate monitoring, during the active phase of labor. There were no failures of induction since all patients reached the active phase of labor without using oxytocin. There was an extremely high percentage of vaginal deliveries being this figure 96.6%. Only 5 patients had to undergo a cesarean section, 2 because of arrest of labor and 3 because acute fetal distress. Four cases of acute intrauterine fetal distress were registered but none of them were caused by tachysystole or hypercontractility. The mean time from the beginning of induction to delivery was 5 hours and 20 minutes (+/- 2 hs, 40') 70.5% of patients giving birth before 6 hours since admittance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)