DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i07.048

Pages: 2683-2687

To determine the efficacy and safety of only loading dose of magnesium sulphate versus the standard regime in the patients of severe preeclampsia. Patients of severe preeclampsia were randomly allocated to Group-A (control group) (n=100) and Group-B (study group) (n=100). Patients in the study group received only the loading dose of magnesium sulphate and patients in the control group received the loading dose of magnesium sulphate followed by the maintenance dose every four hourly. Patients in both the groups were monitored closely after the initiation of therapy. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and Student’s t test was used for data analysis. There were three cases of convulsion in Group-A(control group) and no occurrence of convulsion in Group-B(study group)(P value- 0.2462).There were 8 cases of absent knee jerk(P value-0.006) and 4 cases of oliguria (P value-0.121) in those receiving the pritchard regimen but none of these complications were seen in those receiving only the loading dose. In case of serum magnesium level in our study, the Pritchard regimen produce mean magnesium levels that were significantly higher than that level obtained with only loading dose of magnesium sulphate (P value< 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the maternal and perinatal outcome in the study. Thus only loading dose of magnesium sulphate may be effective in preventing convulsion in the patients of severe preeclampsia with the added advantage of reduced toxicity and ease of monitoring.