MISOPROSTOL FOR LABOR INDUCTION: PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGICAL APPROACH AND EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT ON CESAREANS DELIVERY REDUCTION

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the use of misoprostol for the induction of labor in pregnant women attended in a public hospital of the state of Paraná, and investigate the reduction of the prevalence of cesarean sections with the insertion of this medication in the establishment. Methodology: Cross - sectional observational study with a descriptive and analytical approach using clinical and epidemiological data of all pregnant women attended at the maternity hospital between the period of July 2015 and June 2017. Sta-tistical analysis was performed using Epi-info 6.04® software. Statistical significance was accepted at the 95% level (p<0.05). Results: A total of 362 prescriptions were identified, with the majority of pregnant women being young (64.1%), married (61.9%), white (58.6%), with incomplete primary education (16.0%), urban residents (78.2%), primiparous (60.8%), with 41 gestational weeks (40.9%). These women were treated predominantly with a single misoprostol tablet for the main indication of prolonged gestation. Vaginal delivery was obtained only in 48.62% of the cases, especially in multiparous women (p=0,004). In the pregnant women with the highest parity, the number of tablets necessary to reach the outcome was lower (p=0.021). Conclusion: There was a slight increase in the number of cesarean deliveries in the hospital, indicating that the availability of misoprostol in the maternity did not lead to a reduction in cesarean sections, probably due to failures in protocol execution.