Outpatient management of prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM) at term - a re-evaluation and contribution to the current debate

Objectives: Our study aims to underpin the safety of ambulatory management for 24 h after PROM at term. Patient data from 2021 were compared with data from 2010 to 2013, when ambulatory management was first introduced at the Women's Clinic of the University Hospital of Basel. Methods: In this retrospective study with historical control groups, we compared a cohort of women who underwent outpatient management of PROM at term in 2021, n=78 with two previous cohorts with inpatient management in 2010-2012, n=202 and outpatient management in 2013, n=37, respectively. Results: The maternal and foetal outcomes of our cohort were comparable to those of the previous cohorts. The expected difference in shorter hospital stay was confirmed. Conclusions: The study confirms the safety of an outpatient approach in the management of PROM at term. Further studies, especially RCTs, are needed for a definitive evaluation.