Oral ritodrine and preterm premature rupture of membranes.

A prospective randomized study was performed to determine whether or not oral ritodrine therapy significantly prolonged the latent period in patients with prematurely ruptured membranes. Compared with a control group of similar patients, those treated had a significantly prolonged mean latent period. In addition, 47.6% of the treatment group versus 14.2% of the control group had a latent period of more than one week.