Essay On Magnesium Sulfate

1151 Words3 Pages

Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is used extensively for prevention and treatment of eclamptic seizure (1, 2) and is considered as the ideal anti–convulsant drug in preeclampsia and eclampsia (3). The effect of Magnesium sulphate in vitro and in vivo on relaxing human uterine contractility was widely reported. Magnesium has a calcium antagonist effect that decreases calcium intracellular concentration and inhibits contraction process (4-6).
Many studies done during normal labor failed to prove the effect of magnesium sulfate on uterine muscle on prolonging labor or prompting cesarean section (7-10). However one study in mild preeclampsia during labor induction reported that i.v. magnesium sulfate resulted in a significantly higher maximum oxytocin dose required in labor when compared to placebo (8).
Oxytocin is the uterotonic drug commonly used in obstetrics. It is routinely administered in both normal and cesarean delivery to initiate and maintain adequate uterine tone for minimizing blood loss and preventing postpartum hemorrhage (11). It is vasodilator acting on vascular endothelial receptors causing a calcium-dependent response through stimulation of the nitric oxide pathway (12).
The aim of this study was to find out the impact of MgSO4 on the bolus dose requirement of oxytocin to achieve adequate uterine tone in patients with mild preeclampsia during CS.

Materials and methods
After obtaining approval from our Institutional Review Board and written informed consent, 80 parturients with mild preeclampsia between 18-40 years old were included in this randomized, double-blind study. The study was done at Saad Specialist Hospital, Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia between March 2012 and December 2013. Any parturient diagnosed as mild preeclamp...

... middle of paper ...

...ne value.
Depending on a previous study (14), the mean difference and the pooled standard deviation were calculated and the sample size was estimated (40 in each group), with power of study being 80% and confidence interval being 99%.
Data were statistically described in terms of mean  standard deviation ( SD), or frequencies (number of cases) and percentages when appropriate. Comparison of numerical variables between the study groups was done using Student t test for independent samples. For comparing categorical data, Chi square (2) test was performed. Exact test was used instead when the expected frequency is less than 5. p values less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical calculations were done using computer program SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 15 for Microsoft Windows.

More about Essay On Magnesium Sulfate

Open Document