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A meta‐analysis of magnesium for tetanus
Author(s) -
Rodrigo C.,
Samarakoon L.,
Fernando S. D.,
Rajapakse S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/anae.12020
Subject(s) - medicine , tetanus , mechanical ventilation , meta analysis , diazepam , placebo , magnesium , anesthesia , intensive care unit , relative risk , intensive care , randomized controlled trial , clinical trial , intensive care medicine , confidence interval , vaccination , materials science , alternative medicine , pathology , metallurgy , immunology
Summary Uncontrolled studies suggest that magnesium sulphate controls spasms in patients with established tetanus. We performed a meta‐analysis of controlled trials that compared magnesium sulphate with placebo or diazepam for the treatment of patients with tetanus. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase and the Cochrane clinical trials registry. Three studies met the inclusion criteria, containing 275 participants (199 male patients, 72.4%). Magnesium sulphate did not reduce mortality, relative risk (95% CI): vs placebo, 0.80 (0.41–1.58); vs diazepam, 1.11 (0.70–1.75). The data on duration of total intensive care unit stay, total hospital stay and the need for ventilatory support were conflicting and pooling of results could not be done due to methodological differences of individual trials. More controlled trials are needed to assess the effect of magnesium sulphate on reducing autonomic instability, spasms, duration of intensive care and hospital stays and the need for mechanical ventilation.