Premium
Acute Tocolysis for Fetal Distress: Terbutaline Versus Magnesium Sulphate
Author(s) -
Magann Everett F.,
Cleveland Robert S.,
Dockery James R.,
Chauhan Suneet P.,
Martin James N.,
Morrison John C.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1993.tb02109.x
Subject(s) - terbutaline , tocolytic , medicine , fetal distress , anesthesia , magnesium , bolus (digestion) , tocolytic agent , umbilical cord , fetus , pregnancy , preterm labor , surgery , chemistry , genetics , anatomy , biology , asthma , organic chemistry
Summary: Forty‐six women in active labour who developed fetal distress requiring abdominal delivery were randomized to receive 0.25 mg of terbutaline (subcutaneously) or magnesium sulphate as a 4‐g bolus (intravenously) to decrease uterine activity. The terbutaline‐treated group in contrast to the magnesium sulphate‐treated group had reduced uterine activity as measured by Montevideo units (p <0.002). This decrease in uterine activity was noted more rapidly in all 23 patients who received terbutaline, 1.8 ±0.74 minutes compared to 7.5 ±2.1 minutes in the 16 of 23 patients (magnesium sulphate‐treated women) in whom a decrease in uterine activity occurred (p <0.001). Umbilical cord arterial blood pH at delivery was less than 7.20 in only 2 of the 23 patients treated with terbutaline versus 7 of the 23 in the magnesium sulphate‐treated group. We conclude that terbutaline is an effective and more rapid‐acting tocolytic agent to arrest uterine activity prior to delivery for fetal distress.