Tocolytic preference for treatment of preterm labor.

Chad K. Klauser, Christian M. Briery, Everett F. Magann, Rick W. Martin, Suneet P. Chauhan, John C. Morrison

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Preterm labor remains the most common complication of pregnancy. Although tocolytic treatment is the standard of care in such women, there is no FDA approved drug for therapy, and there is no unanimity of drug regimens among physicians. This survey details the patterns of twenty Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists who manage over 6,000 cases of preterm labor with intact membranes annually. Approximately 90% of women were seen early enough to be effectively treated with tocolytics, and over 90% of these subjects received corticosteroids. First-line tocolytic use favored magnesium sulfate while antiprostaglandin drugs were the leading second-line drug whereas intravenous terbutaline and calcium channel antagonists were used less often. There were many different dosage patterns for each drug as well as combinations of various tocolytic drugs which were individually adjusted for patient circumstances. Women with preterm labor and intact membranes are usually treated with tocolytics and corticosteroids, but regimens are varied and all use is off label. This study demonstrates the need for an FDA approved tocolytic which could be used consistently for such women.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)35-38
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of the Mississippi State Medical Association
Volume48
Issue number2
StatePublished - Feb 2007
Externally publishedYes

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