Induction to delivery time interval in patients with and without preeclampsia: a retrospective analysis

Background. Anecdotally, it is suggested that patients with preeclampsia have a shorter induction to delivery interval than patients without preeclampsia, despite there being no good objective evidence. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 136 primiparous, singleton, cephalic, nonassisted vaginal deliveries between January 1997 and January 2000. Sixty-eight women had induction of labor for preeclampsia and 68 women without preeclampsia had induction of labor for other reasons. The two groups were already case-matched for maternal and gestational age. The following details were recorded from the case notes: maternal age, gestation at delivery, initial Bishop score, total dose of prostaglandin administered, induction to delivery interval, duration of second-stage labor, birthweight, and the percentage of Apgar scores < 7 at 5 min. Statistical analysis was carried out with a Mann-Whitney U -test, with the aid of SPSS version 9, Microsoft Windows Results. The women with preeclampsia had a statistically significant longer induction to delivery interval than those without preeclampsia. The mean induction to delivery interval of women with and without preeclampsia was 1049.5 min and 762.5 min, respectively (p < 0.001) Conclusion. Women with preeclampsia had a longer induction to delivery interval than patients without preeclampsia. This fact must be considered when deciding upon the mode of delivery in preeclamptic patients.