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 .
Sublingual Isosorbide Dinitrate in the Acute Control of Hypertension in Patients with Severe Preeclampsia
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sublingual isosorbide dinitrate ( ID ) in the acute control of hypertension in patients with severe preeclampsia . A r and omized , double-blind clinical trial with a pre inclusion period of response to hydration and rest was performed in 60 patients with severe preeclampsia . The treatment group ( 30 patients ) received 5 mg of sublingual ID , a dose that could be repeated on a second occasion . The control group consisted of 30 patients who received placebo .  Both groups continued with rest and hydration during the study . Maternal blood pressure and fetal heart rate were measured in all patients every 10 min until 1 h was completed . Treatment was considered effective when the diastolic blood pressure could be reduced to between 80 and 100 mm Hg . ID was effective in 56.6 % of the patients in the first 10 min after its administration and in 96.6 % from 40 to 60 min . In the treatment group the systolic and diastolic blood pressures dropped gradually from 171 ± 13 and 113 ± 8 mm Hg , respectively , to 136 ± 14 and 87 ± 9 mm Hg . In the placebo group , blood pressure was not reduced . There was no significant difference in fetal heart rate between both groups throughout the study . In conclusion , ID was shown to be effective in the acute control of hypertension in patients with severe preeclampsia , where high blood pressure persists after a period of rest and hydration
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 .