Abstract:

Purpose: This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of rectal misoprostol administered in primiparous women after elective cesarean to the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and postpartum hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a retrospective cohort study of 240 patients who were administrated rectal misoprostol (misoprostol group, n=120) or intravenous oxytocin (non-misoprostol group n=120) during the postpartum period in a single institution between April 2018 and March 2019 Results: The median values of the first flatulation and defecation time were statistically significantly earlier in the misoprostol group than in the non-misoprostol group (the first flatulation time was 18 hours and 24 hours respectively, the first defecation time was 29 hours and 36 hours respectively). The comparison of the two groups in terms of postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit values demonstrated that hemoglobin and hematocrit values measured at the postoperative 24th hour (the hemoglobin was 11 g/dL and 10,2 g/dL respectively, the hematocrit was 33% and 30.6% respectively) were statistically significantly higher in the misoprostol group than were those in the non-misoprostol group. Postoperative fever and shivering, negative effects of misoprostol, were more frequent in the misoprostol group than in the non-misoprostol group. Conclusions: In the present study, demonstrated that the administration of rectal misoprostol after CS led to the early flatulation and defecation by increasing the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and reduced the amount of postpartum hemorrhage in the women.