Abbreviated (8 hours) versus Traditional (24 hours) Postpartum MgSO4 Prophylaxis in Severe Preeclampsia: A Randomised Control Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder affecting pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation featured by hypertension and proteinuria. Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO4) has been used for 24 hours following delivery to prevent eclampsia in patients with severe preeclampsia. Aim: To determine the need to continue magnesium sulphate therapy 8 hours following delivery. Materials and Methods: The double blinded randomised controlled study was performed in the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, from 1st July 2015 to 30th June 2016. Total 90 patients with severe preeclampsia were randomised in two group. In group A MgSO4 was discontinued 8 hours following delivery (abbreviated group) and in the group B it was continued for 24 hours following delivery (traditional group). The primary objective of study was to determine the need to continue MgSO4 therapy 8 hours following delivery. Secondary objectives were monitoring time by doctors, nursing care time, postpartum ambulation time, duration of urinary catheterisation, minor complication like urinary tract infection, duration and total dose of MgSO4 therapy. In order to calculate statistical significance of the different variables in between two groups, Student’s independent sample’s t-test was used for normally distributed numerical values and Chi-square test or Fischer’s-exact test was used for unpaired proportion data. Results: In abbreviated group, the number of patients (n=1) who did not need to continue MgSO4 therapy beyond 8 hours following delivery as safety measures were statistically significant (p-value <0.0001) in comparison to traditional group. Total duration and dose of MgSO4 therapy were significantly less (p-value <0.0001) in the abbreviated group. There was statistically significant reduction in time from delivery to postpartum ambulation and duration of indwelling urinary catheter in the abbreviated group. Conclusion: The abbreviated (8 hours) regime of postpartum MgSO4 for seizure prophylaxis is a suitable alternative to the traditional (24 hours) regime.