Association between lactate levels in vaginal fluid and time of spontaneous onset of labor in suspected cases of prelabor rupture of membranes

Abstract

Purpose: To assess correlation between lactate levels in vaginal fluid and onset of labor in suspected PROM. Method: A prospective observational study conducted at the Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pathology from 2008 to 2009. 118 women with complaints of leaking per vaginum underwent a sterile speculum examination and vaginal fluid was taken to estimate lactate level. Then, women were followed till the spontaneous onset of labor. The association was presented as Odds ratio with 95 %CI. Results: The median time of onset of spontaneous labor and examination was 12 h in patients with lactate levels >5.0 mmol/L and 76 h in patients with lactate levels <5.0 mmol/L. Among 62 women with lactate levels >5.0 mmol/L, 67.7 % of women (n = 42) had spontaneous onset of labor within 24 h and 83.87 % women of (n = 52) within 48 h. Conclusion: A lactate level >5.0 mmol/L is significantly associated with the spontaneous onset of labor within 24 and 48 h in suspected cases of PROM. © 2013 Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India.