Effectiveness of Oral Propranolol in Accelerating Labour Induction in Synergy with Oxytocin in Nulliparous Women in Abakaliki. A randomized Controlled Trial.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: Induction of labour is usually employed to initiate labour following postdates. This is commoner with nulliparity. Oxytocin traditionally has been used for induction of labour; however, prolonged labour continued to occur with attendant sequelae. Propranolol has been shown in a few studies to accelerate the progress of labour when used in synergy with oxytocin. There is a paucity of information with conflicting reports. Hence, need for this study.

Methodology: This research was a clinical superiority open labelled randomized controlled trial that involved only nulliparous women who met the inclusion criteria and gave consent to the study over a 6-month period. Participants were selected using simple random sampling by replacement and randomization by utilizing computer-generated numbers from a pool of 28 participants divided into A and B. Group A received 20 mg of oral propranolol 10 minutes before initiation of oxytocin titration while group B received only oxytocin titration. Partograph were used to monitor their labour.

Analysis: Absolute and relative frequencies of categorical variables, mean, range and standard deviation of continuous variables were calculated. Associations between continuous variables were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test while the chi-square (χ2) test was used for categorical variables. A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. 

Results: The total mean duration of labour were approximately equal and was statistically not significant {A=559.2±147.99 minutes and B=560.9±168.34 minutes (P= 0.978)}. All other stages of labour were not statistically significant {latent phase A=243.0±183.7 minutes and B=238.2±144.8 minutes (P=0.940), active phase A=282.8±64.7 minutes and B=330.4±123.2 minutes (P=0.207), second stage A=35.6±15.9 minutes and B=34.7±27.4 minutes (P=0.934) and third stage A=10±3.2 minutes and B=12±10.4 minutes (P=0.555)}. There were no statistically significant differences in the maternal and fetal outcomes.   

Conclusion: Administration of 20mg oral propranolol prior to induction of labour with oxytocin did not accelerate labour progress.