PRETERM PREMATURE RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES - EXPERIENCE WITH LATENT PERIODS IN EXCESS OF 7 DAYS

The purpose of this study was to review the maternal and neonatal outc omes of patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) w ith a latency period greater than 7 days, Using the perinatal database , there were 11,007 deliveries in a 25-month period, in which 81 patie nts (0.7%) with singleton pregnancies were admitted with documented PP ROM between 20 and 30 weeks' gestation. Twenty-one patients (26%) rema ined undelivered after 1 week, and 19 of these patients were discharge d to outpatient care. Twelve patients (57%) delivered at term and nine patients (43%) delivered prematurely. In the preterm group all report ed increased leaking prior to delivery and all neonates had 5-minute A pgar scores higher than 7. Length of stay in the neonatal intensive ca re unit for all the preterm neonates ranged from 12 to 117 days. The m ajority of patients with PPROM will deliver within 1 week, but there i s a subset of patients with PPROM (one of every seven), characterized by the absence of labor or infection, who may be managed as outpatient s and delivered at term.