Ambulatory cervical ripening in term pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: To study the safe use of Dilaparn at term for ripening the unfav ourable cervix in an outpatient setting. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective review of cervical ripening with Dilapan in women at term gestation. Such women were assigned to either outpatient or inpati ent cervical ripening with Dilapan. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were assigned to each group. The length of ind uction was similar between women who had ambulatory cervical ripening and h ospitalized patients (11+/-7 vs. 14+/-7 hours, respectively), and the rates of chorioamnionitis, endometritis and nonreassuring fetal heart rate traci ngs were also similar. However, the average length of hospitalization was s ignificantly shorter for those who had ambulatory ripening as compared to t hose who were hospitalized (51+/-27 vs. 70+/-20 hours, respectively; P<.000 7). CONCLUSION: The use of Dilapan for cervical ripening at term in an ambulato ry setting is safe and effective and may decrease the overall hospitalizati on time and cost.