Oxytocin augmentation of dysfunctional labor. I. Clinical data.

The effectiveness of a specific oxytocin dosage regimen and a specific computer-defined initial goal of a contractile activity is compared to groups of similar nulliparous women managed by the same physicians who used their own choices of oxytocin therapy and electronic monitoring of the intrauterine pressure. The patients managed by a specific regimen and a computer-defined therapeutic goal had oxytocin stopped or the dosage reduced because of concerns with fetal distress or, less frequently, hypercontractility, had shorter intervals from the initiation of oxytocin to full dilation, required smaller doses to accomplish cervical change, and received smaller maximum doses of oxytocin. The most significant factor determining these results was the rate of incrementation of the oxytocin dose.