Open AccessPremature Labor and Coincident Acute Appendicitis not Resolved by Betamimetic but Surgical Treatment
Author(s) -
Herczeg J.,
Kovács L.,
Keserü T.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016348309156243
Subject(s) - medicine , premature labor , appendicitis , myometrium , acute appendicitis , obstetrics and gynaecology , pregnancy , obstetrics , preterm labor , general surgery , intensive care medicine , surgery , gynecology , uterus , gestation , genetics , biology
. Three cases one of them fatal of betamimet‐ic “resistant” premature labor with coincident acute appendicitis are presented. These case histories support the opinion held by the authors that in the recent era of widespread use of betamimetics, during the second and third trimester, appendicitis can be concealed by increased uterine contractility which could be secondary to the intra‐abdominal inflammatory process or triggered by genuine premature motor activity of the myometrium. We consider that the obstetrician should revise his decision regarding betamimet‐ic treatment on the basis of continuous observation. There is a clinical message in these cases which should be incorporated into the decision‐making process: if a patient presents herself with premature labor, betamimetics should not be given before the diagnosis has been established.