Biomaterial Database

Is your enema really necessary? 1981

M L Romney, and H Gordon

Two hundred and seventy-four women admitted for delivery of singleton infants were studied for the effects of a preparatory enema on faecal contamination, duration of labour, and the incidence of infection in the newborn. Altogether 149 of the women were given an enema (controls) and 125 were not. The two groups showed no significant difference in the degree of faecal contamination during the first and second stages of labour, and the incidences of gross contamination were similar. Contamination after an enema was especially difficult to control, since it was more likely to be fluid. Seven neonates in each group showed evidence of infection, bowel organisms being isolated from four in the no-enema group and two in the control group. Durations of labour, though not strictly comparable, were similar in the two groups. The findings suggest that when preparing for normal labour the enema should be reserved for women who have not had their bowels open in the past 24 hours and have an obviously loaded rectum on initial pelvic examination.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007232	Infant, Newborn, Diseases	Diseases of newborn infants present at birth (congenital) or developing within the first month of birth. It does not include hereditary diseases not manifesting at birth or within the first 30 days of life nor does it include inborn errors of metabolism. Both HEREDITARY DISEASES and METABOLISM, INBORN ERRORS are available as general concepts.	Neonatal Diseases,Disease, Neonatal,Diseases, Neonatal,Neonatal Disease
D007743	Labor, Obstetric	The repetitive uterine contraction during childbirth which is associated with the progressive dilation of the uterine cervix (CERVIX UTERI). Successful labor results in the expulsion of the FETUS and PLACENTA. Obstetric labor can be spontaneous or induced (LABOR, INDUCED).	Obstetric Labor
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011897	Random Allocation	A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.	Randomization,Allocation, Random
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D004733	Enema	Insertion of a solution or compound through the RECTUM with the purpose of cleansing the COLON or for diagnostic procedures.	Enemata,Enemas,Enematas
D005243	Feces	Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man