Experience with an industrially manufactured gel PGE2 for cervical priming.

An industrially manufactured ready-to-use PGE2 gel for cervical ripening was clinically evaluated. The study included 42 primiparous and eight multiparous women with an unfavourable cervix (Bishop score less than or equal to 5) admitted to hospital for induction of labour on medical grounds. PGE2, 0.5 mg, in 2 ml triacetin gel was instilled into the cervical canal. In nine patients (18%) the gel induced labour and subsequent delivery. In the remaining women the mean Bishop score increased from 3.0 to 7.7 during a 24-h period and labour was induced by either i.v. oxytocin or PGF2 alpha. None of the 50 patients experienced gastrointestinal side effects during pretreatment with PGE2. In 50% of the patients slight uterine contractility was noticed. All patients went into labour. The incidence of Cesarean section was 10%. Except for two patients treated because of intrauterine fetal death there was no perinatal mortality. The 5-min Apgar score was 8 or more in all newborn but 1. The main advantage of the new gel is that it is ready to use without any mixing procedure. Moreover, the stability of PGE2 is sufficient to allow routine clinical use.