AMNIOINFUSION SURVEY - PREVALENCE, PROTOCOLS, AND COMPLICATIONS

Objective: To determine whether amnioinfusion is associated with labor and delivery complications, and whether complication type and reporte d incidence are related to infusion method. Methods: Questionnaires re garding amnioinfusion experience were sent to every academic obstetric s and gynecology department in the United States (78 maternal-fetal me dicine fellowship directors or, if the department did not have a fello wship, 206 residency directors). A literature review on amnioinfusion was also performed. Results: Seventy-six percent of fellowship directo rs and 62% of residency directors responded to our survey, representin g 644,910 deliveries per year and at least 22,833 amnioinfusions per y ear. A wide variety of infusion protocols were reported. Forty-nine ce nters reported at least one associated complication; none was signific antly associated with any of the various aspects of the many protocols (P > .05). The mean number (+/- standard error of the mean) of amnioi nfusions performed annually was similar between centers that did (261 +/- 48) and did not (154 +/- 29) report complications (P = .06). The l iterature review suggested that amnioinfusion is efficacious and relat ively safe. Conclusion: Amnioinfusion is performed nationwide accordin g to widely varying protocols with few associated complications. Neith er the method employed nor the number of infusions performed appears t o significantly increase the risk of having a complication.