Table 2.
18 Studies with mean measures of ‘active phase’ duration in systematic review
| Trial | Group / Sub-group | n | Dilatation at ‘active phase’ onset (cm)a |
‘Active phase’ duration (hrs) |
Rate of ‘active phase’ dilation (cm/hr) c |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Mean + 2 SD | Mean | Limit | ||||
| Cammu et al, 1994 23 | Bathing group | 54 | 3.8 (0.9) | 4.07 (2.32) | 8.71 | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| Non-bathing group | 56 | 4.0 (1.0) | 4.4 (2.83) | 10.06 | 1.4 | 0.6 | |
| Cammu et al, 1994 24 | Unaugmented labor, no epidural | 477 | 3.7 (1.6) | 2.53 (1.3) | 5.13 | 2.5 | 1.2 |
| Augmented labor, no epidural | 159 | 3.1 (1.2) | 4.73 (1.75) | 8.23 | 1.5 | 0.8 | |
| Albers et al, 1996 15 | No treatment | 347 | 4 | 7.7 (5.9) | 19.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Cammu et al, 1996 25 | AML group | 152 | 3.2 (1.1) | 4.23 (2.35) | 8.93 | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| Selective intervention group | 154 | 3.2 (1.1) | 4.72 (2.57) | 9.86 | 1.4 | 0.7 | |
| Bofill et al, 1997 26 | Epidural analgesia | 49 | 4.2 (1.0) | 6.25 (2.38) | 11.01 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Narcotics | 51 | 4.2 (0.9) | 5.95 (2.55) | 11.05 | 1.0 | 0.5 | |
| Alexander et al, 1998 27 | Epidural group | 126 | 4 | 7.9 (3.0) | 13.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Meperidine (IV) group | 73 | 4 | 6.3 (3.0) | 12.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | |
| Clark et al, 1998 28 | Epidural group | 156 | 4 | 5.18 (2.7) | 10.58 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| Meperidine (IV) group | 162 | 4 | 4.57 (2.35) | 9.27 | 1.3 | 0.7 | |
| Thompson et al, 1998 29 | No epidural (with labor curve) | 142 | 4 | 5.25 d | -- | 1.1 | -- |
| Low-dose epidural (with labor curve) | 172 | 4 | 6.0 d | -- | 1.0 | -- | |
| High-dose epidural (with labor curve) | 72 | 4 | 6.5 d | -- | 0.9 | -- | |
| Albers, 1999 16 | No treatment | 806 | 4 | 7.7 (4.9) | 17.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Fontaine et al, 2000 30 | ITN | 50 | 4 | 5.17 (--) | -- | 1.2 | -- |
| No ITN | 50 | 4 | 4.43 (--) | -- | 1.4 | -- | |
| Garite et al, 2000 31 | IV fluids at 125 ml/hr (vaginal delivery) | 78 | 3.6 (--) | 8.05 (--) | -- | 0.8 | -- |
| IV fluids at 250 ml/hr (vaginal delivery) | 91 | 3.8 (--) | 6.88 (--) | -- | 0.9 | -- | |
| Sharma et al, 2001 33 | Drotaverine HCl IM group | 50 | 4 | 2.94 e | -- | 2.0 | -- |
| Valethamate bromide IM group | 50 | 4 | 3.21 e | -- | 1.9 | -- | |
| Unmedicated group | 50 | 4 | 5.94 e | -- | 1.0 | -- | |
| Gurewitsch et al, 2002 35 | No treatment | 908 | 3.1 (1.5) | 4.5 d | -- | 1.5 | -- |
| Jones et al, 2003 17 | No treatment | 120 | 4 | 6.2 (3.6) | 13.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Kaul et al, 2004 36 | Oxytocin augmentation group | 996 | 4 [3,4] | 5.3 | -- | 1.1 | -- |
| Somprasit et al, 2005 37 | AML group | 320 | 3.1 (1.2) | 8.97 (4.05) | 17.07 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conventional labor management group | 640 | 3.1 (1.4) | 9.82 (4.4) | 18.62 | 0.7 | 0.4 | |
| Eslamian et al, 2006 19 | IV fluids at 125 ml/hr (vaginal delivery) | 118 | 4 b | 6.12 (1.75) | 9.62 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| IV fluids at 250 ml/hr (vaginal delivery) | 123 | 4 b | 3.93 (1.43) | 6.79 | 1.5 | 0.9 | |
| Mikki et al, 2007 39 | Early amniotomy | 74 | 3 [3,4] | 3.85 (1.83) | 7.51 | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Intent to conserve membranes | 83 | 4 [3,4] | 5.28 (2.27) | 9.82 | 1.1 | 0.6 | |
| Weighted values | 7009 |
3.7 (0.4) |
6.0 (2.0) |
13.4 (5.0) |
1.2 (0.5) |
0.6 (0.3) |
|
AML = active management of labor; HCL=hydrochloride, IM = intramuscular; ITN = intrathecally-injected narcotics; IV = intravenous; IQR = interquartile range.
a
Group mean (SD), median [IQR], or absolute value shown when provided in study.
b
Through contact with author, it was clarified that median dilatation was 4 cm at ‘active phase’ onset.
c
Calculated based on assumption that the cervical dilation phase ends at 10 cm which approximates complete cervical dilatation.
d
Value derived from graphical labor curve presented in study publication.
e
Calculated based on mean rate of dilation provided in study publication.