Vaginal misoprostol versus vaginal dinoprostone for cervical ripening and induction of labour: An individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Induction of labour (IOL) is common practice and different methods carry different effectiveness and safety profiles. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness, and maternal and perinatal safety outcomes of IOL with vaginal misoprostol versus vaginal dinoprostone using individual participant data from randomised clinical trials. SEARCH STRATEGY: The following databases were searched from inception to March 2023: CINAHL Plus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group Trial Register, Ovid Embase, Ovid Emcare, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), with viable singleton gestation, no language restrictions, and all published and unpublished data. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: An individual participant data meta-analysis was carried out. MAIN RESULTS: Ten of 52 eligible trials provided individual participant data, of which two were excluded after checking data integrity. The remaining eight trials compared low-dose vaginal misoprostol versus dinoprostone, including 4180 women undergoing IOL, which represents 32.8% of all participants in the published RCTs. Of these, 2077 were assigned to low-dose vaginal misoprostol and 2103 were assigned to vaginal dinoprostone. Compared with vaginal dinoprostone, low-dose vaginal misoprostol had a comparable rate of vaginal birth. Composite adverse perinatal outcomes did not differ between the groups. Compared with vaginal dinoprostone, composite adverse maternal outcomes were significantly lower with low-dose vaginal misoprostol (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.98, P = 0.03, I2 = 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose vaginal misoprostol and vaginal dinoprostone for IOL are comparable in terms of effectiveness and perinatal safety. However, low-dose vaginal misoprostol is likely to lead to a lower rate of composite adverse maternal outcomes than vaginal dinoprostone.

Labor induction abortion utilizing trilostane, a 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitor.

Labor induction abortion in the second trimester is a difficult problem in developing countries because antiprogestins are either not available or unaffordable. When prostaglandins are used alone for labor induction abortion without antiprogestin pretreatment, the induction to delivery interval and the treatment failure rate increase. Trilostane, an inhibitor of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme system, was given to 93 women between 13 and 19 weeks gestation. The trilostane dosage used was 120 mg twice daily for the first 24 h, and then 240 mg twice daily for the next 24 h. The women returned after 48 h for hospital admission. The women were randomized to three different misoprostol regimens: low-dose vaginal group (200 microg every 4 h), high-dose vaginal group (initial dose of 400 microg followed by 200 microg every 4 h) and vaginal-oral group (400 microg vaginally followed by 200 microg orally every 4 h). The median induction to abortion times were 17, 8.3 and 9.4 h, respectively. The latter two groups had significantly shorter induction to delivery times (p<.05). The most common side effects were a burning feeling in the face (47.7%) and nausea (13.3%). Overall, trilostane side effects were mild and self-limiting and did not interfere with therapy. In conclusion, trilostane can be given as out-patient therapy prior to admission for prostaglandin administration in labor induction abortion.

Oral and vaginal misoprostol compared with dinoprostone for induction of labor: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of oral and vaginal misoprostol compared with the standard regimen using dinoprostone for induction of labor. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized controlled trial in Cape Town, South Africa. A total of 573 women admitted for induction of labor were randomized to receive oral misoprostol, vaginal misoprostol, or the control, dinoprostone. Misoprostol was given orally or vaginally as a 50-microg dose at 6-hour intervals to a maximum of four doses. The dinoprostone gel was given as a 1-mg dose in the posterior fornix every 6 hours (maximum two doses). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in vaginal delivery rate in 24 hours between the vaginal misoprostol and dinoprostone groups. However, significantly fewer women delivered vaginally in the oral misoprostol group compared with those in the dinoprostone group (relative risk 0.71, 99% confidence interval 0.51, 0.99). The median induction to vaginal delivery time in the vaginal misoprostol, oral misoprostol, and dinoprostone groups was 12 hours, 23 hours, and 14 hours, respectively. The cesarean rate was approximately 33% in all the groups. There were more cesareans performed for fetal distress in the vaginal misoprostol group compared with the dinoprostone group (relative risk 2.86, 99% confidence interval 1.49, 5.46). There was a higher incidence of tachysystole in the vaginal misoprostol group (5.8%) compared with the other two groups: oral misoprostol (0.8%) and dinoprostone (0.8%), but this difference was not statistically significant. There were no differences in maternal or fetal complications. CONCLUSION: Vaginal misoprostol is as effective as dinoprostone in induction of labor, but it is associated with more tachysystole and cesarean sections for fetal distress compared with dinoprostone. Oral misoprostol results in fewer vaginal deliveries in 24 hours, but it is not associated with increased tachysystole or fetal distress.

Acute renal failure complicating severe preeclampsia requiring admission to an obstetric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors and outcomes for women with severe preeclampsia and renal failure. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study from 1995 to 1998 of all women with renal failure who were admitted to the obstetric intensive care unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa. A total of 89 women were identified with severe preeclampsia defined as blood pressure > or = 160/110 mm Hg and > or = 2+ proteinuria, renal failure defined as a creatinine level of > or = 1.13 mg/dL, and oliguria defined as < 100 mL urine produced in 4 hours; 72 charts were available for analysis. A comparison was made between the 3 groups, which were defined by the maximum recorded creatinine levels. RESULTS: Of the 72 women, 31 women (43%) were primiparous and 41 (57%) were multiparous. Median gestation at delivery was 32 weeks (range, 21-40 weeks). The median maximum creatinine was 3.85 mg/dL (range, 1.13-12.50 mg/dL). Twelve women (16%) had a history of chronic renal disease or hypertension, and 36 women (50%) had HELLP syndrome and 23 (32%) abruptio placentae. All women with severe renal impairment had either abruptio placentae or hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome. Perinatal mortality was 38% (27/72). However, in this series only 7 women (10%) required dialysis in the short term and none required long-term dialysis or kidney transplant. There were no maternal deaths. CONCLUSIONS: In women with severe preeclampsia and renal failure, major obstetric complications were common and perinatal outcome was poor. However, the need for dialysis was infrequent, with only 10% women requiring transient dialysis, and there were no cases of chronic renal failure that required dialysis or kidney transplant.