About this trial
This clinical trial aims to determine whether transperineal ultrasound (a perineal external scan) can improve decision-making for hospital admission in term pregnant women in labor compared to traditional vaginal examination. Term pregnant women (\>37 weeks) presenting with contractions at the emergency department will be randomly assigned to undergo either a transperineal ultrasound or a vaginal examination upon arrival. The study will evaluate whether ultrasound-based assessment reduces the rate of labor inductions and decreases patient discomfort during the admission evaluation. All participants will receive standard clinical evaluation and follow-up according to the assigned method, report discomfort levels using a standardized scale, and have labor outcomes recorded - including induction, oxytocin use, time to delivery, and mode of delivery -, to determine whether ultrasound improves clinical decision-making and maternal comfort.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Women aged 18 to 45 years
Singleton pregnancy
Gestational age ≥ 37 weeks (term pregnancy)
Spontaneous uterine contractions at the time of presentation to the emergency department
Disqualifiers
Premature rupture of membranes (PROM)
Multiple gestation
Known high-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, insulin-dependent diabetes)
Previous cesarean delivery
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Transperineal Ultrasound
- Vaginal Examination