Concurrent administration of oxytocin with Foley catheter versus misoprostol for induction of labor: A systematic review
Abstract Objectives: Around one- third of pregnancies require labor induction due to issues such as post-term pregnancy, stillbirth, and medical complications. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of concurrent administration of Foley catheter plus oxytocin vs. misoprostol on labor induction. Methods: The search was conducted in April 2019. The following databases were searched: PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Central Register of controlled trials and Web of Science. Primary outcomes included mode of delivery and cesarean section rate. Secondary outcomes were the mean time of induction to delivery and delivery in less than 12 hours from induction. Data were analyzed using RevMan. For binary outcomes, the odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and for continuous outcomes, the mean difference (MD) with 95% CI was measured. Results: Four studies were included in this review. The cesarean section and vaginal delivery rate in Foley + oxytocin was not significantly different from misoprostol (OR = 0.95; 95 % CI: 0.70, 1.30) and (OR = 0.92; 95 % CI: 0.66, 1.29) respectively. Foley + oxytocin decreased the mean time of induction to delivery compared to misoprostol (MD = 0.60; 95 % CI: 0.03, 1.16), and increased delivery in less than 12 hours from induction (OR = 2.08; 95 % CI: 1.43, 3.02). Conclusion: Although the rate of cesarean and vaginal delivery was not significant in two groups of Foley catheter + oxytocin and misoprostol, the mean time of induction to delivery reduced and delivery in less than 12 hours from induction increased in the Foley +oxytocin.