Role of Phloroglucinol in Reducing Duration of Active First Stage of Labour

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of phloroglucinol in reducing the duration of the active first stage of labour.

Methodology: This randomized controlled trial was carried out from December 2018 and June 2019 at Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. Patients with singleton pregnancies in the active first stage of labour, without complications, aged between 18 and 40 years and within the term range of 37 to 42 weeks of gestation were included. Group A received intravenous phloroglucinol 40mg (4ml), while Group B received an intravenous placebo (4ml) at the start of the trial. Following the initial dose, another administration was given after 30 minutes, and both the patient and observer remained unaware of the injection's contents. Subsequently, labour progression was carefully monitored. All collected data were entered into SPSS version 26.

Results: The mean duration of the first stage of labour in the phloroglucinol group was 230.20 ± 52.96 minutes, while in the placebo group, it was 345.30 ± 50.57 minutes (p<0.0001). These findings align with previous studies demonstrating the efficacy of phloroglucinol in reducing the duration of labour. Notably, shorter labour durations were not associated with adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes.

Conclusion: Phloroglucinol observed as an effective treatment option for reducing the duration of the active first stage of labour.