Objective
Does the use of nifedipine and magnesium sulfate together increase serious magnesium-related
effects?
Study design
This was a retrospective chart review of women who were admitted to BC Women's Hospital
and Health Centre (1997-2001) and were given intravenous magnesium sulfate for preeclampsia.
Serious magnesium-related effects were compared among 162 cases who received magnesium
sulfate and contemporaneous nifedipine and 215 control subjects who received magnesium
sulfate and either another antihypertensive (n = 32 women) or no antihypertensive (n = 183 women) medication. Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, or the Student t test was used for data comparison between cases and each control group. A probability
value of <.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
The cases had more severe preeclampsia and a longer magnesium sulfate infusion. However,
cases had no excess of neuromuscular weakness (53.1%) versus control subjects who
received antihypertensive medication (53.1%; P = .99) or control subjects who received no antihypertensive medication (44.8%; P = .13) or other serious magnesium-related effects. Cases versus control subjects who
received antihypertensive medication had less neuromuscular blockade (odds ratio,
0.04; 95% CI, 0.002-0.80). Cases versus control subjects who received no antihypertensive
medication had less maternal hypotension (41.4% vs 53.0%; P = .04).
Conclusion
The use of nifedipine and magnesium sulfate together does not increase the risk of
serious magnesium-related effects.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
November 24,
2004
Received:
October 25,
2004
Footnotes
Supported by the British Columbia Research Institute for Children's and Women's Health, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (L.A.M), and Drs. Magee and von Dadelszen receive research support from the British Columbia Research Institute for Children's and Women's Health, and the BC Women's Hospital Foundation (L.A.M. and P.vD.).
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
