Maternal outcomes after 12 hours and 24 hours of magnesium sulfate therapy for eclampsia

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of a reduced duration (12 hours) of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) administration for eclampsia.MethodsIn a prospective randomized study, women with eclampsia (prepartum, intrapartum, or postpartum) attending Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, India, between January 2012 and September 2013 were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg after 20 weeks, proteinuria (dipstick value ≥ + 1), and seizures not attributed to other causes. Participants were assigned to control and study groups according to the time of enrollment (6-month blocks). All patients received a MgSO4 loading dose (4 g, intravenously), followed by maintenance doses (1 g/hour) for 12 hours (study group) and 24 hours (control group). The primary outcome was recurrent convulsions after completion of MgSO4 therapy. Patients with treatment failure were excluded from analyses.ResultsAnalyses included 132 patients in the study group and 72 patients in the control group. No convulsions recurred in either group after the completion of treatment.ConclusionFor women with eclampsia, 12 hours of magnesium sulfate could effectively prevent recurrent convulsions.