RESUMEN
Objective: To determine the efficacy of progesterone therapy in prevention of preterm labour
Methods: This Experimental Study was designed at Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics [Unit-II], Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lahore. Non-probability, purposive sampling technique was used and 100 patients were taken who had singleton pregnancy with previous history of one or 2 preterm delivery or cervical length of <25 mm between 16 to 20 weeks of gestation were included in the study. The drug was given according to the proposed dosing regimen i.e. weekly intramuscular injection of 250gm of 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate beginning at 16weeks 0days to 20weeks 6days gestation and used till 36 weeks 6days gestation and the patients were followed till delivery to see the efficacy of the drug [as per operational definition] information was noted on predesigned proforma. The data was analyzed by using SPSS-20 software
Results: In this study, the mean age of patients presented in active phase of labor was 25.85+3.13 years. The mean gestational age at time of presentation was 19.2+1.13weeks. Out of the 100 females given progesterone therapy showed that there were 71 [71.0%] females who delivered after 37 weeks of gestation while 29 [29.0%] females delivered before 37 weeks of gestation and had gone into preterm delivery. In this study, Progesterone therapy showed efficacy in 71 [71.0%] females who delivered after 37 weeks of gestation according to the operational definition of efficacy, while 29 [29.0%] females did not fulfill the operational definition of efficacy and delivered before 37 weeks of gestation
Conclusion: Through this study, we come to know that progesterone therapy is effective in prevention of preterm labor