Preterm premature rupture of membrane management--inpatient versus outpatient: a retrospective review.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) managed as inpatients who would have been candidates for outpatient management by prior published criteria. A retrospective review of medical records of PPROM subjects enrolled in a prospective cohort study was performed. Similar criteria to those established in a randomized trial for home management of PPROM by Carlan et al were applied. Assuming local residence, 65 subjects met the criteria for outpatient management. Demographic and delivery information were collected. Of the 65 subjects, 12 (18%) delivered <2 hours from the sentinel event. Adverse outcomes in these 12 subjects could have been devastating had they been managed as outpatients. Given the susceptibility of these subjects to obstetric emergencies, patients with PPROM at a viable gestational age should be considered for management as inpatients in a tertiary-care facility.