Increased intravenous fluid intake and the course of labor in nulliparous women

Objective: To compare the effect of 2 regimens of intravenous fluid therapy on the course of tabor. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study of 300 nulliparous pregnant women at term conducted at a teaching hospital, 153 women received 125 mL and 147 received 250 mL of intravenous fluid per hour. The groups 2 were matched and analysis was done using the t, X(2), and Fisher exact tests. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the group that received intravenous fluid at a rate of 250 mL per hour the mean +/- S.D. duration of tabor was significantly shorter (253 97 vs. 386 +/- 110 min; P=0.0001), the frequency of tabor tasting both more than 10 h and more than 15 h was statistically tower (4.8% vs. 13.8%; P=0.001 and 0% vs. 4.5%; P=0.02, respectively), and the frequency of oxytocin administration was significantly tower (8.1% vs. 20.4%; P=0.001). There was a trend toward a tower frequency of cesarean deliveries in the 250-mL group (16% vs. 22.8%; P=0.1). Conclusion: A greater volume per hour of intravenous fluid than is commonly administered to nulliparous women in active tabor is associated with significantly shorter duration of tabor and tower frequency of both prolonged tabor and oxytocin administration. (c) 2006 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.