[Cervical labor induction with prostaglandin E2 in patients with fetal death]

The objective was to compare the effectiveness and efficacy of prostaglandin E2 (prepidil gel) plus oxitocin with that of intravenous oxitocin in the treatment of delivery induction in patients complicated with fetal death. Fifteen patients received prepidil gel plus oxitocin and 15 patients oxitocin. In the treatment group only one dosage of 0.5 ng in 2 ml of prepidil gel was administered intracervically and simultaneously oxitocin by intravenous infusion, dosage was increased 2 mUI/min every 30 minutes. In the control group only intravenous oxitocin was administered at the same dosage. The mean duration in hours of delivery in the treatment group was 13.1 +/- h and in the control group was 30.9 +/- 9.1 h. There were statistically significant differences between the groups in reduction of delivery duration (p = 0.0007). It is concluded that prostaglandin E2 plus oxitocin provide better short-term outcomes than oxitocine treatment and gave more short periods of labor in patients with fetal death.