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Outpatient Foley For Starting Induction of Labor at Term in Nulliparous Women

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Pregnancy Related
Interventions
Procedure: Transcervical Foley catheter placement for cervical ripening
Registration Number
NCT03472937
Lead Sponsor
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Brief Summary

The investigators are performing a randomized controlled trial investigating starting cervical ripening in the outpatient setting with a mechanical method, the transcervical Foley catheter. The objective of the study is to determine if outpatient compared to inpatient cervical ripening with a transcervical Foley catheter in nulliparous women undergoing induction shortens the time spent in labor and delivery (from the time of admission to the time of delivery).

Detailed Description

Approximately 20-25% of pregnant women undergo an induction of labor, and a large percentage of these women require cervical ripening in order to "ready" the cervix for induction. In the setting of an unfavorable cervix, induction of labor with oxytocin alone can be associated with longer times to delivery, uterine tachysystole (uterine contractions that are too frequent), and increased rates of cesarean delivery.

Outpatient cervical ripening is an attractive option for both women and their physicians, as this allows for the potential to spend less time in the hospital and more time in the comforts of the patient's own home.

The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing outpatient to inpatient cervical ripening using a transcervical Foley catheter. Women will be randomized to undergo inpatient or outpatient transcervical Foley catheter cervical ripening beyond their 39th week of gestation. Women and their infants will be followed until the time of their discharge from the hospital.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
126
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age ≥ 18
  • Nulliparous
  • Singleton gestation
  • Gestational age between 39+0 and 42+0 weeks
  • Vertex presentation
  • Modified Bishop score <5 and cervical dilation ≤ 2 cm
  • No prior cesarean or prior uterine surgery
  • Resides within 30 minutes of UAB Hospital
  • Access to a telephone
  • Reliable transportation
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Unsuitable for outpatient cervical ripening (e.g., IUGR, oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios, gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, complex maternal disease, provider discretion). Patients with well controlled Class A or B DM or chronic hypertension will be eligible.
  • Latex allergy
  • Contraindication to induction of labor
  • Evidence of labor
  • Fetal demise
  • Fetal anomaly
  • Inability to give consent (e.g., inability to read or write)
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Inpatient cervical ripening groupTranscervical Foley catheter placement for cervical ripeningSubjects in this arm will be seen in the outpatient setting, and if they qualify and are randomized to the inpatient (control) group, they will be admitted to labor and delivery the next day for cervical ripening with a transcervical Foley catheter.
Outpatient cervical ripening groupTranscervical Foley catheter placement for cervical ripeningSubjects in this arm will undergo cervical ripening with a transcervical Foley catheter in the outpatient setting (intervention arm). The transcervical catheter will be placed in the office after confirmation of fetal well-being. They will then return the next day to be admitted to labor and delivery for induction of labor with oxytocin.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Total time from admission to deliveryFrom baseline to the time of delivery (baseline is from admission)
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Rates of umbilical cord artery pH <7.1From time of delivery up to 5 minutes post-delivery
Modified Bishop score on admissionAt baseline
Evaluation of patient satisfaction with careWithin 2-4 days after delivery

Assessed through survey adapted from "Six Simple Questions Survey," which has been published by Harvey et al (Harvey et al. Evaluation of satisfaction with midwifery care. Midwifery. 2002 Dec; 18(4):260-7.) This survey has 6 questions to assess perceptions of satisfaction with care. The questions include questions such as, "I had appropriate and adequate control over my care," "The person(s) responsible for my care are/were caring and compassionate," and "Problems that have arisen up to now have not been dealt with effectively." The scare ranges from 1-7, with 1 representing Strongly Disagree and 7 representing Strongly Agree.

Rates of spontaneous rupture of membranes between Foley bulb placement and admissionFrom placement of Foley bulb to 24 hours
Total time of oxytocin infusionFrom baseline to delivery
Maximum oxytocin rateFrom baseline to delivery
Evaluation of patient experience on labor and deliveryWithin 2-4 days after delivery

Assessed through survey adapted from "Labor and Delivery Index (LADY-X" Survey, which has been published by Gartner et al (Gartner et al. Calculating Preference Weights for the Labor and Delivery Index: A Discrete Choice Experiment on Women's Birth Experiences. Value Health. 2015 Sep; 18(6):856-864.) This survey has 7 questions to assess experiences during labor and birth. Each question then has 3 answer choices that describe how good/poor the experience was. An example of a question is, "Taking your wishes seriously during childbirth." The answers then include "very seriously, sufficiently seriously, or insufficiently seriously."

Evaluation of pain experienced during childbirthFrom placement of Foley bulb to delivery

Assessed through survey that contains 4 questions. The first 3 questions assess pain (worst pain during labor, overall pain during labor, and worse pain during placement of the Foley balloon). The 4th question asks how likely a patient is to recommend her method of induction to a friend/family member. The scale ranges from 0-100, with 0 representing no pain or very unlikely and 100 representing pain as bad as it could possibly be or very likely. The patient is instructed to place a hash mark over the line.

Vaginal bleeding greater than bloody showFrom placement of Foley bulb to delivery

Vaginal bleeding that is like a period or more

Total hospital durationFrom hospital admission to hospital discharge (generally less than one week)
Rates of calls to the obstetrical triage unitFrom placement of Foley bulb to 24 hours
Total duration of time of neuraxial anesthesia useFrom baseline to delivery
Rates of umbilical cord artery base deficit <-12From time of delivery up to 5 minutes post-delivery
Rates of acetaminophen useFrom placement of Foley bulb to 24 hours
Highest maternal intrapartum temperatureFrom baseline to delivery
Rates of chorioamnionitisFrom baseline to delivery
Rates of endometritisFrom delivery until 30 days post-discharge
Mode of deliveryFrom baseline to delivery

Rates of vaginal delivery, cesarean delivery, and operative vaginal delivery (vacuum or forceps)

Early admission or early visit to the obstetrical triage unit prior to scheduled induction of labor timeFrom placement of Foley bulb to 24 hours
Non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracings 30-minutes after Foley bulb placementFrom placement of Foley bulb to 30 minutes
Rates of hospital readmission within 30 daysFrom hospital discharge until 30 days post-discharge
Rates of 5-minute Apgar score <7From time of delivery up to 5 minutes post-delivery
Rates of neonatal intensive care unit admissionsAfter delivery and before neonatal discharge (generally less than one week)
Postpartum hemorrhageAt delivery

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Alabama at Birmingham

🇺🇸

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

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