24 Jan Glucose Supplementation Reduced Length of Induced Labor

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Josianne Paré MD, FRCSC
Département d’obstétrique-gynécologie
Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé de l’université de Sherbrooke
3001 12e avenue Nord, Sherbrooke (Québec), J1H 5N4

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Prolonged labor is a significant cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and very few interventions are known to shorten labor course. Skeletal muscle physiology suggests that glucose supplementation might improve muscle performance in case of prolonged exercise and this situation is analogous to the gravid uterus during delivery. Therefore, it seemed imperative to evaluate the impact of adding carbohydrate supplements on the course of labor.

Accordingly, we conducted a single centre prospective double-blind randomized-controlled trial comparing the use of parental IV of dextrose 5% with normal saline to normal saline in induced-nulliparous women. A total of 193 patients (96 in the dextrose with normal saline [NS+D] group and 97 in the normal saline group [NS] were analysed in the study. The median total duration of labor was 76 minutes shorter in the NS+D group (499 versus 423 minutes, p = 0.024) than in the NS group. There was no difference in the rate of caesarean section, instrumented delivery, APGAR score or arterial cord pH.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Glucose supplementation significantly reduces the total length of labor without increasing the rate of complication in induced nulliparous women. Given the low-cost and the safety of this intervention, glucose should be used as the default solute during labor.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: This conclusion has to be studied in an extended population such as multiparous women, spontaneous labor and induced nulliparous women with unfavourable cervix. We are currently working on follow-up protocols.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:
Abstract presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Jan 2017
Reduction of total labor length through the addition of parenteral dextrose solution in induction of labor in nulliparous: results of DEXTRONS prospective randomized controlled trial

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com

[wysija_form id=”5″]

Last Updated on February 1, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD