The effects of Pethidine on the duration of active labor in nulliparous women

Introduction: Prolonged labor can lead to maternal and neonatal complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Pethidine on the duration of active labor in nulli-parous women. Materials and methods: In a randomized clinical 90 nulliparous women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies at term were randomly assigned into two groups. The first group received 50 mg Pethidine IM and the second group received an equal volume Normal Saline IV as Placebo throughout active labor. Results: Affecting variables on labor outcomes were similar in two groups. The differences in the duration of the active phase of the first stage of labor were significant between groups (230.62 ± 31.19 min in the Pethidine group Vs 247.73 ± 37.94 min in Normal Saline group P=0.038). Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were similar in two groups P=0.203). Conclusion: This study showed that Pethidine is an effective agent in the labor duration and significantly decreased the duration of active phase of labor in nulli-parous women.