1. Comparison of the efficacy and adverse effects of nifedipine and indomethacin for the treatment of preterm labor
- Author
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Shohreh Bahasadri, Maryam Kashanian, and Bita Zolali
- Subjects
Adult ,Tocolytic agent ,Nifedipine ,Preterm labor ,Indomethacin ,Drug Administration Schedule ,law.invention ,Obstetric Labor, Premature ,Randomized controlled trial ,Indometacin ,Pregnancy ,law ,medicine ,Humans ,Adverse effect ,business.industry ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Gestational age ,Labor pain ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Tocolytic Agents ,Treatment Outcome ,Premature birth ,Anesthesia ,Tocolytic ,Prostaglandin inhibitor ,Premature Birth ,Gestation ,Female ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Objective To compare the effectiveness and adverse effects of nifedipine versus indomethacin in the treatment of preterm labor. Methods In a randomized clinical trial, 79 women with labor pain at 26โ33 weeks of gestation were treated with either oral nifedipine (n = 40) or rectal indomethacin (n = 39). Results Twenty-three (59%) women in the indomethacin group, and 10 (25%) in the nifedipine group did not respond to treatment (P = 0.002). None of the 16 and 30 women remaining in the indomethacin and nifedipine groups, respectively, delivered during the subsequent 48 hours. Of these remaining women, 1 (6.25%) in the indomethacin group and 4 (13.3%) in the nifedipine group delivered between 48 hours and 7 days (P = 0.162). For the women who responded to treatment, the mean gestational age at time of delivery was 238.5 ± 19.4 days and 246.4 ± 15.4 days in the nifedipine and indomethacin groups, respectively (P = 0.182). Seventeen (42.5%) women in the nifedipine group, and 11 (28.2%) in the indomethacin group showed adverse effects (P = 0.184). Conclusion Indomethacin was less effective than nifedipine for the fast treatment of preterm labor. For women who responded to treatment within 2 hours, however, the delaying of delivery by indomethacin was similar to that by nifedipine.
- Published
- 2011