Which method is best for the induction of labour?: A systematic review, network meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis

Background: More than 150,000 pregnant women in England and Wales have their labour induced each year. Multiple pharmacological, mechanical and complementary methods are available to induce labour. Objective: To assess the relative effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of labour induction methods and, data permitting, effects in different clinical subgroups. Methods: We carried out a systematic review using Cochrane methods. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register was searched (March 2014). This contains over 22,000 reports of controlled trials (published from 1923 onwards) retrieved from weekly searches of OVID MEDLINE (1966 to current); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library); EMBASE (1982 to current); Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1984 to current); ClinicalTrials.gov; the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Portal; and hand-searching of relevant conference proceedings and journals. We included randomised controlled trials examining interventions to induce labour compared with placebo, no treatment or other interventions in women eligible for third-trimester induction. We included outcomes relating to efficacy, safety and acceptability to women. In addition, for the economic analysis we searched the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and Economic Evaluations Databases, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and the Health Technology Assessment database. We carried out a network meta-analysis (NMA) using all of the available evidence, both direct and indirect, to produce estimates of the relative effects of each treatment compared with others in a network. We developed a de novo decision tree model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of various methods. The costs included were the intervention and other hospital costs incurred (price year 2012–13). We reviewed the literature to identify preference-based utilities for the health-related outcomes in the model. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, expected costs, utilities and net benefit. We represent uncertainty in the optimal intervention using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Results: We identified 1190 studies; 611 were eligible for inclusion. The interventions most likely to achieve vaginal delivery (VD) within 24 hours were intravenous oxytocin with amniotomy [posterior rank 2; 95% credible intervals (CrIs) 1 to 9] and higher-dose (≥ 50 μg) vaginal misoprostol (rank 3; 95% CrI 1 to 6). Compared with placebo, several treatments reduced the odds of caesarean section, but we observed considerable uncertainty in treatment rankings. For uterine hyperstimulation, double-balloon catheter had the highest probability of being among the best three treatments, whereas vaginal misoprostol (≥ 50 μg) was most likely to increase the odds of excessive uterine activity. For other safety outcomes there were insufficient data or there was too much uncertainty to identify which treatments performed ‘best’. Few studies collected information on women’s views. Owing to incomplete reporting of the VD within 24 hours outcome, the cost-effectiveness analysis could compare only 20 interventions. The analysis suggested that most interventions have similar utility and differ mainly in cost. With a caveat of considerable uncertainty, titrated (low-dose) misoprostol solution and buccal/sublingual misoprostol had the highest likelihood of being cost-effective. Limitations: There was considerable uncertainty in findings and there were insufficient data for some planned subgroup analyses. Conclusions: Overall, misoprostol and oxytocin with amniotomy (for women with favourable cervix) is more successful than other agents in achieving VD within 24 hours. The ranking according to safety of different methods was less clear. The cost-effectiveness analysis suggested that titrated (low-dose) oral misoprostol solution resulted in the highest utility, whereas buccal/sublingual misoprostol had the lowest cost. There was a high degree of uncertainty as to the most cost-effective intervention

Misoprostol versus conduta expectante em gestantes de termo com rotura prematura de membranas

Orientador: Jose Guilherme CecattiDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências MédicasResumo: A rotura prematura de membranas de termo é uma condição freqüente e a sua melhor condução é ainda controversa. A indução imediata do trabalho de parto com ocitocina após a rotura, conduta mais comum no Brasil, pode aumentar as taxas de cesárea. O uso de prostaglandinas está relacionado com melhores resultados, em comparação à conduta expectante, porém não existem estudos bem controlados utilizando especificamente o misoprostol versus a conduta expectante. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar, através de um ensaio clínico prospectivo e aleatorizado, os resultados maternos e perinatais relacionados à indução imediata do trabalho de parto com misoprostol vaginal ou à conduta expectante por período de 24 horas, seguida de indução com ocitocina, em gestantes com rotura prematura de membranas de termo, atendidas no Serviço de Obstetrícia do Centro de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher da Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Estudaram-se 75 gestantes em cada grupo e os dados foram coletados através de ficha pré-codificada e analisados através dos testes qui-quadrado, exato de Fisher, teste t de Student e análise de sobrevivência para avaliar a significação estatística das diferenças encontradas entre os grupos. O grupo de indução imediata com misoprostol apresentou períodos significativamente menores de latência e da rotura ao parto, com uma incidência de parto por cesárea de 20%, enquanto o grupo expectante foi de 30,7%. Os grupos não diferiram quanto à vitalidade fetal, complicações no trabalho de parto e parto, complicações maternas puerperais e neonatais. No grupo de conduta expectante por 24 horas, 72,5% das gestantes desencadearam espontaneamente as contrações do trabalho de parto neste período expectante. A indução imediata com misoprostol nos casos de gestação de termo com rotura prematura de membranas tem desempenho semelhante à conduta expectante por 24 horas, seguida da indução com ocitocina com relação aos resultados maternos e perinatais e é responsável por um encurtamento do período de latência e tempo total desde a rotura até o partoAbstract: Premature rupture of membranes at term (PROMT) is a frequently condition, but until now, there is no consensus about its best management. The immediate labor induction with oxytocin is one of the commonest procedures in Brazil, although it can be responsible for an increase in cesarean section rates. On the other hand, the induction of labor with prostaglandin seems to be related with better outcomes than expectant management. However actually there are no well controlled studies comparing expectant management versus misoprostol for labor induction. The purpose of this study was to asses, in a randomized controlled trial, the perinatal and maternal outcomes comparing immediate induction of labor with vaginal misoprostol versus expectant management until 24 hours followed by oxytocin induction in pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes at term who were cared at the Obstetric Unit of CAISM-UNICAMP. Data on seventy five PROMT cases allocated in each group were collected in a precoded form and the statistical analysis was performed applying the student ttest, the ?2 test, Fisher's exact test and survival analysis. Both groups had similar general characteristics, but the group that received immediate induction with misoprostol had significantly shorter latency and time from PROM to delivery compared with the expectant management group. The cesarean section rates were 20% and 30,7% respectively for misoprostol and expectant group. There were no differences between the groups regarding fetal well being, complications during labor and delivery and neonatal or post-partum maternal morbidity. Until 24 hours, 72,5% of women allocated to the expectant management group started spontaneous labor. The immediate labor induction with misoprostol in cases with premature rupture of membranes at term has a similar performance to the expectant management for 24h followed by labor induction with oxytocin regarding maternal and perinatal outcomes and is responsible for shortening latent period and the total time between PROM and deliveryMestradoTocoginecologiaMestre em Tocoginecologi

Validação da curva normal de peso fetal estimado pela ultra-sonografia para o diagnóstico do peso neonatal Validity of the normal fetal weight curve estimated by ultrasound for diagnosis of neonatal weight

OBJETIVO: avaliar a concordância entre o peso fetal estimado (PFE) por ultra-sonografia e o neonatal, o desempenho da curva normal de PFE por idade gestacional no diagnóstico de desvios do peso fetal/neonatal e fatores associados. MÉTODOS: participaram do estudo 186 grávidas atendidas de novembro de 1998 a janeiro de 2000, com avaliação ultra-sonográfica até 3 dias antes do parto, determinação do PFE e do índice de líquido amniótico e parto na instituição. O PFE foi calculado e classificado de acordo com a curva de valores normais de PFE em: pequeno para a idade gestacional (PIG), adequado para a idade gestacional (AIG) e grande para a idade gestacional (GIG). A mesma classificação foi feita para o peso neonatal. A variabilidade das medidas e o grau de correlação linear entre o PFE e o peso neonatal foram calculados, bem como a sensibilidade, especificidade e valores preditivos para o uso da curva de valores normais de PFE para o diagnóstico dos desvios do peso neonatal. RESULTADOS: diferença entre o PFE e o peso neonatal variou entre -540 e +594 g, com média de +47,1 g, e as duas medidas apresentaram um coeficiente de correlação linear de 0,94. A curva normal de PFE teve sensibilidade de 100% e especificidade de 90,5% em detectar PIG ao nascimento, e de 94,4 e 92,8%, respectivamente, em detectar GIG, porém os valores preditivos positivos foram baixos para ambos. CONCLUSÕES: a estimativa ultra-sonográfica do peso fetal foi concordante com o peso neonatal, superestimando-o em apenas cerca de 47 g e a curva do PFE teve bom desempenho no rastreamento diagnóstico de recém-nascidos PIG e GIG.<br>PURPOSE: tocompare the ultrasound estimation of fetal weight (EFW) with neonatal weight and to evaluate the performance of the normal EFW curve according to gestational age for the diagnosis of fetal/neonatal weight deviation and associated factors. METHODS: one hundred and eighty-six pregnant women who delivered at the institution from November 1998 to January 2000 and who had one ultra-sonographic evaluation performed until three days prior to delivery with estimation of the amniotic fluid index were included. EFW was calculated and classified in to small for gestational age (SGA), adequate for gestational age (AGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) through the normal EFW curve for this population. Neonatal weight was similarly classified. The variability of the measures and the degree of linear correlation between EFW and neonatal weight, as well as sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for the use of the normal EFW curve in the diagnosis of neonatal weight deviations were calculated. RESULTS: the difference between EFW and neonatal weight ranged from -540 to +594 g, with a mean of +46.9 g, and the two measures presented a linear correlation coefficient of 0.94. The normal EFW curve had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90.5% in detecting SGA neonates and of 94.4 and 92.8%, respectively, in detecting LGA; however, the predictive positive values were low for both conditions. CONCLUSIONS:ultrasound EFW was in agreement with the neonatal weight, with a mean overweight of approximately 47 g, and its normal curve showed a good performance in the screening of SGA and LGA neonates

Misoprostol Versus Expectant Management In Premature Rupture Of Membranes At Term.

To compare the effectiveness of immediate induction of labour with vaginal misoprostol versus expectant management for 24 hours followed by oxytocin induction in women with premature rupture of membranes at term (term PROM). An open, randomised, controlled trial. Public university hospital in Campinas City, Brazil. One hundred and fifty pregnancies, half of them allocated to each group. Statistical analysis used Student's t test, the chi2 test, Fisher's exact test, survival analysis and risk ratio estimates with 95% CI. Latency period, recruitment to delivery period, period of hospitalisation, mode of delivery, contractility pattern, fetal wellbeing, labour and delivery complications, neonatal and maternal morbidity. Both groups had similar general characteristics, but the misoprostol group had a significantly shorter latency period (9.4 vs 15.8 hours), a shorter time interval from recruitment to delivery (18.9 vs 27.5 hours), a shorter period of maternal hospitalisation and a slightly higher proportion of alterations of contractility when compared with the expectant group. Caesarean section rates were 20% in the misoprostol group and 30.7% in the other. There were no differences between them regarding fetal wellbeing, complications during labour and delivery and neonatal or postpartum maternal morbidity. Within 24 hours, 44% of women had delivered in the expectant group against 73.3% in the misoprostol group. Immediate labour induction with misoprostol in cases of term PROM shortens the latency period, the total time between recruitment to delivery and the time of maternal hospitalisation, increasing the occurrence of alterations of contractility without any maternal and perinatal outcomes disadvantages.1121284-9