Best Partograph Action Line to Prevent Prolonged Labour
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Objective: To compare active labour outcomes in nulliparous women at term supervised with a
partograph with the action line placed at either 2 hours or 4 hours and to determine whether
the 2-hour action line placement is better for the prevention of prolonged labour.
Design: Randomised controlled trial.
Setting: A university teaching hospital in Nigeria.
Population: Nulliparous women in labour at term.
Method: Nulliparous women in labour were randomly supervised with a partograph with the
action line placed at 2 hours (n=320) or 4 hours (n=320). Oxytocin augmentation, when
required, was used only at the 2-hour (n=87) or 4-hour (n=61) action lines. Progress
monitoring was the same in both groups.
Main outcome measure: The primary outcome measure was the prolonged labour rate. The
secondary outcome measures were the mode of delivery and neonatal outcome.