Uterine action after induction of labour with oral prostaglandin E2 tablets compared with intravenous oxytocin.

Uterine action throughout the whole of labour induced by low amniotomy and either oral prostaglandin E2 tablets or intravenous ocytocin was studied in 10 randomly matched pairs of patients. Oral prostaglandin E2 tablets induced fewer contractions per hour, and these contractions were longer and more variable in length than those induced by intravenous oxytocin. There was no difference in basal uterine tone or in the amplitude of contractions. A comparison was made between the outcome of labour induced by low amniotomy and either oral prostaglandin E2 tablets 0-5 mg. hourly in 65 patients, or intravenous ocytocin in 41 patients. This dose of prostaglandin E2 tablets was an inadequate adjunct to low amniotomy in nulliparous patients. Despite this, the induction-delivery interval for the whole prostaglandin group was not significantly greater than that for the oxytocin group. There were no significant differences in fetal heart rate pattern, or in the incidence of gastro-intestinal side-effects between the two groups.