Hydralazine was the most common drug for others to be evaluated against .
Diazoxide , given as 75 mg bolus injections , appears to be associated with maternal hypotension requiring treatment , and ketanserin is less effective than hydralazine at reducing blood pressure .
There is no other clear evidence that any one of the other antihypertensive agents is better than another for women with severe hypertension during pregnancy .
Exceptions are diazoxide and ketanserin , which are probably not good choices
BACKGROUND Very high blood pressure during pregnancy poses a serious threat to women and their babies .
The use of drugs to lower blood pressure will reduce this risk for the women , and possibly also for the baby .
OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to compare different antihypertensive drugs used for treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy .
Oral nifedipine therapy in the management of severe preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of nifedipine ( Cordipin ) and hydralazine in lowering blood pressure in severe preeclampsia . METHOD A r and omized , prospect i ve study of 104 patients with severe preeclampsia in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital , Accra , Ghana , was conducted between January 1992 and June 1994 . RESULTS Of the 104 patients recruited into the study , six did not deliver at our hospital and were thus excluded from the study .  Nifedipine and hydralazine as first-line drugs controlled the blood pressure in 44 and 35 patients , respectively , but failed in 5 and 14 , respectively . This was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ) . The mean birth weight was higher in the nifedipine group ( 2500+/-800 g vs. 2400+/-800 g ) . There were 11 admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit in the nifedipine group and 13 in the hydralazine group but the difference was not statistically significant . CONCLUSION Nifedipine and hydralazine could both be used effectively to control blood pressure in severe preeclampsia in our subregion . While hydralazine is administered intravenously and needs strict monitoring , nifedipine is more effective , is easy to administer orally , less dem and ing on hospital staff , convenient and more predictable
Hydralazine was the most common drug for others to be evaluated against .
Diazoxide , given as 75 mg bolus injections , appears to be associated with maternal hypotension requiring treatment , and ketanserin is less effective than hydralazine at reducing blood pressure .
There is no other clear evidence that any one of the other antihypertensive agents is better than another for women with severe hypertension during pregnancy .
Exceptions are diazoxide and ketanserin , which are probably not good choices
BACKGROUND Very high blood pressure during pregnancy poses a serious threat to women and their babies .
The use of drugs to lower blood pressure will reduce this risk for the women , and possibly also for the baby .
OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to compare different antihypertensive drugs used for treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy .