Effectiveness and infectious morbidity of outpatient cervical ripening with a Foley catheter

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and infectious morbidity of outpatient cervical ripening with a Foley catheter. STUDY DESIGN: Labor inductions utilizing a Foley catheter for cervical ripening from January 1994 to October 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. The inductions were divided into inpatient and outpatient groups. Vaginal delivery rates and infectious morbidity were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There were 315 inpatient and 300 outpatient cases. The observed differences in vaginal delivery rates and infectious morbidity were not clinically or statistically significant. However, there was insufficient power to exclude a type II error. The cost savings was $165,000, and there is the potential to save $750 per patient with this method. CONCLUSION: Outpatient cervical ripening with a Foley catheter is clinically effective, does not result in excess infectious morbidity and is more cost effective as compared to inpatient cervical ripening.