Pain and satisfaction in women induced by vaginal dinoprostone, double balloon catheter and oral misoprostol

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pain experience of women induced by intravaginal dino-prostone (Propess (R)), oral misoprostol (Angusta (R)) or double balloon catheter (Cook (R)). Methods: This single-center prospective study was carried out in the obstetric gynecology department of the university hospital of Saint-Etienne from March 2018 to April 2021 in women requiring cervical ripening for the purpose of artificial labor induction. Results: We included 82 women in the oral misoprostol group, 35 in the vaginal dinoprostone group and 58 in the balloon group. The overall pain, assessed by a numerical scale from 0 to 10, was similar for the different methods of induction (p = 0.253). Pain at insertion was greater with the double balloon catheter compared to the vaginal dinoprostone (3.67 versus 5.75 p = 0.001). Pain in the 2 h prior to the delivery room was greater with vaginal dinoprostone and oral misoprostol compared with the double balloon catheter (7.91 and 7.4 versus 5.47 respectively, p = <0.0001). Women induced by balloon catheter would more often have preferred to be induced by another method compared to those induced by oral misoprostol or vaginal dinoprostone (p = 0.004). Adjusting for previous cesarian section, gestational age at delivery, need for oxytocin augmenta-tion and indication for induction, women induced by balloon were five times more risk to prefer another induction method (OR 5.01 95% CI [1.09-23.03], p = 0.038). There was no significant difference in stress and overall experience of induction depending on the method.Conclusion: In order to improve the women experience, information, consent and participation in the deci-sions and choices of their induction method are essential.(c) 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.