TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of a randomized trial on maintenance tocolysis on length of hospital admission of women with threatened preterm labor in the Netherlands
AU - Lange, Thomas S.De
AU - Roos, Carolien
AU - Bloemenkamp, Kitty W.M.
AU - Bolte, Antoinette C.
AU - Duvekot, Johannes J.J.
AU - Franssen, Maureen T.M.
AU - Kok, Marjolein
AU - Oudijk, Martijn A.
AU - Porath, Martina M.
AU - Post, Joris A.M.Van Der
AU - Mol, Ben Willem J.
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - Introduction The APOSTEL-II trial was a multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial, assessing the effectiveness of maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine. The trial showed maintenance tocolysis not to have an effect on perinatal outcome. Objective of the current study is to evaluate the effect of a negative trial on the length of hospital admission of women with threatened preterm labor. Materials and methods We evaluated length of hospital admission of all patients admitted with threatened preterm labor with a gestational age <32 weeks in 8 perinatal centers that participated in the APOSTEL-II trial. We studied only the first admission with threatened preterm labor, readmissions were excluded. We distinguished between the period before, the period during and the period after the trial. In a subgroup analysis, we differentiated for the group of women who delivered and for the group of women who did not deliver during the initial admission. Results The mean length of hospital admission was 9.3 days before the start of the trial, 8.4 days during the recruitment period and 8.1 days after the trial was completed. The difference in mean length of hospital admission before and during the recruitment period was significantly different (p < 001). Comments The length of hospital admission of women with threatened preterm labor is found to be reduced during the recruitment period of the APOSTEL-II trial. This shows that the conduct of a randomized controlled trial itself has the potential to change daily practice.
AB - Introduction The APOSTEL-II trial was a multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial, assessing the effectiveness of maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine. The trial showed maintenance tocolysis not to have an effect on perinatal outcome. Objective of the current study is to evaluate the effect of a negative trial on the length of hospital admission of women with threatened preterm labor. Materials and methods We evaluated length of hospital admission of all patients admitted with threatened preterm labor with a gestational age <32 weeks in 8 perinatal centers that participated in the APOSTEL-II trial. We studied only the first admission with threatened preterm labor, readmissions were excluded. We distinguished between the period before, the period during and the period after the trial. In a subgroup analysis, we differentiated for the group of women who delivered and for the group of women who did not deliver during the initial admission. Results The mean length of hospital admission was 9.3 days before the start of the trial, 8.4 days during the recruitment period and 8.1 days after the trial was completed. The difference in mean length of hospital admission before and during the recruitment period was significantly different (p < 001). Comments The length of hospital admission of women with threatened preterm labor is found to be reduced during the recruitment period of the APOSTEL-II trial. This shows that the conduct of a randomized controlled trial itself has the potential to change daily practice.
KW - Admission
KW - Maintenance tocolysis
KW - Threatened preterm labor
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923132382&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.12.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 25596476
AN - SCOPUS:84923132382
SN - 0301-2115
VL - 186
SP - 8
EP - 11
JO - European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
JF - European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
ER -