Magnesium sulfate in severe preeclampsia: shorter course is safe, cost-effective

Takeaway

• 12 hours of postpartum intravenous magnesium sulfate is as safe as 24 hours of magnesium sulfate.

Why this matters

• Preeclampsia affects 8% of pregnancies worldwide.
• The minimum effective amount of intravenous dosing will help reduce cost and minimise monitoring.

Key results

• No incidence of seizures during the study.
• No differences in maternal or foetal outcome or number of days of maternal admission between groups.
• Cost analysis was not performed.

Study design

• Study outcomes included seizures, adverse maternal effects, neonatal survival, and admission to the ICU.
• Funding: None disclosed.

Limitations

• Single-site study.
• Small numbers in the study.