Premium
Benzodiazepines in a Method of Management of Severe Pregnancy Toxaemia
Author(s) -
Lean T. H.,
Ratnam S. S.,
Sivasamboo R.,
Chong K. D.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
the journal of the asian federation of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 0377-0532
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.1970.tb00130.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sedation , chlordiazepoxide , perinatal mortality , pregnancy , diazepam , mortality rate , obstetrics , maternal mortality rate , myocardial infarction , pediatrics , anesthesia , surgery , fetus , population , health services , biology , genetics , environmental health
A method of management of 400 cases of severe pregnancy toxaemia with benzodiazepines (chlordiazepoxide and diazepam) for sedation, and an active approach to the obstetric management is described. Adequate sedation was achieved in 88 per cent of the cases, and not a single patient developed an eclamptic fit once treatment was instituted. A gross perinatal mortality rate of 10.5 per cent was obtained, with a corrected perinatal mortality rate of 8.7 per cent (after excluding 43 cases which were included in the series post‐partum, and 12 cases with the foetuses already dead on admission.) In patients who were admitted in labour or whose pregnancies were terminated on admission the perinatal mortality rate was 4.8 per cent to 1.1 per cent. But in the group where the pregnancy was conserved the perinatal mortality was as high as 24.4 per cent, rising to an even higher rate of 40.8 per cent in those whose toxaemic state was not well controlled. A maternal mortality rate of 1.25 per cent was recorded (5 deaths). Two deaths were due to cerebro‐vascular haemorrhage, one to myocardial infarction, one to acute pulmonary congestion and one to a phaeochromocytoma .