COMPARISON BETWEEN NIFEDIPINE AND RITODRINE AS AN EFFECTIVE TOCOLYTIC AGENT FOR PRETERM LABOUR

Abstract

Abstract

Background:  Preterm labour is not uncommon and its incidence is 10% of all the pregnancies. It can be a cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Of many available tocolytic agents, ritodrine is fre-quently used but it can leads to maternal and fetal complications which include tachycardia or hypertens-ion. Nifedipine is considered to avoid from these com-plications. However, its efficacy is still under debates.

Objectives:  The objective of the study was to com-pare the efficacy of nifedipine with ritodrine in tocoly-sis of preterm labor.

Study Design:  It was a randomized controlled trial.

Place and Duration of Study:  This study was condu-

Shahzad N.¹

Assistant Professor Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, KEMU / Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lahore

Saleem F.²

Assistant Professor Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, KEMU / Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lahore

Shahid M.³

Associate Professor Dept of Paediatrics

SIMS / Services Hospital, Lahore

Malik A.⁴

Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

KEMU / Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lahore

cted at unit 111 Lady Willingdon Hospital Lahore and duration was one year from 1.1.2014 to 31.12.2014.

Methodology:  One hundred and twenty patients were randomly divided in two equal groups. Group A pati-ents were given nifedipine and in group B received ri-todrine for prolongation of labor. The two groups were compared with each other for efficacy. Data was colle-cted on a specially designed Performa.

Results:  The efficacy of nifedipine was 71.1% and ritodrine was 31.1%. The results were statically signi-ficant (p-value < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Nifedipine was proved to be more effe-ctive than ritodrine and the results were statistically significant

Key Words:  Preterm labor; ritodrine; nifedipine; pro-longation of labor.