ABSTRACT
KEY POINTS • The diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes
(PROM) at term is based on pooling, ferning, and nitrazine tests.
• The main complication is intrauterine infection; this incidence increases with the duration of PROM, and, with longer latency, the risk of neonatal infection also increases.
• Women with PROM at term should be hospitalized, and induced with oxytocin within 6-12 hours of PROM. Most women with PROM at term, if given a choice, prefer induction. Oxytocin induction is safe, effective, and cost-effective. Misoprostol induction is an alternative just as effective, but there are insufficient data on its safety. Women with group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization should be induced immediately.
