Magnesium sulphate more than halves the risk of eclampsia, and probably reduces maternal death. There is no clear effect on outcome after discharge from hospital. A quarter of women report side effects with magnesium sulphate.
[Anticonvulsant treatment in severe preeclampsia. Comparison between diazepam and magnesium sulfate].
The objective was to compare the materno-fetal effects between Diazepam and Magnesium sulfate used as anticonvulsivant therapy in cases of severe pre-eclampsia. The study was prospective, comparative, longitudinal, randomized clinical trial. The study was done at Centro Medico Nacional Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Torreon, Coah, Mexico. The patients were all the women admitted to the labor and delivery ward with diagnosis of severe pre-eclampsia and viable conceptus were assigned at random to receive either Diazepam (Group A, n = 19) or Magnesium sulfate (group B, n = 19). There were no significant differences between both groups. All of the patients remained alert, conscious and well oriented. None of the newborns showed hiporreflexia, flaccidity or neonatal respiratory distress that could be implicated to the anticonvulsivant therapy. It is concluded that Diazepam and Magnesium sulfate are good alternatives as anticonvulsivant therapy in cases of severe pre-eclampsia.