SALBUTAMOL INFUSIONS DELAY LABOUR EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY

The results from 14 Australian clinical trials are analysed SaI 'outamol (a1'outerol) is a highly selective ~l-adrenoceplor stimulant. 14 clinical tr ials were conducted in Australia 10 evaluate the efficacy and safety ofsalbulamo\ infusions in the prevention of premature labour. Patients incl uded women at 20-36 weeks gestation with regular, painful contractions at least every J 0 min, but without card iac disease, amnionil is or diabetes. SalbUlamoi infusions were started init ially at " IOpg/ min , and increased every 5- 10 min to a maximum of SO)lg/ min until contractions ceased. or until a maternal heart mte of i40 / min was reached. In 527 single pregnancies . 80.5% ofdeJ iveries were delayed. A delay of > 1 week occurred in 43. 4 % of women, and > 2 weeks in 35.9 %. When the cervix was dilated > 3cm, the mean delay in delivery wa." 6. 1 days (J .6 days in the 10 twin pregnancies). When the cervix was dilated " 3cm, the mean delay in delivery Wa." 21 .6 days in single pregnancies ( I 8.4 days in twin pregnancies and 11 .2 days in the 4 triplet pregnancies). The mean birth weight of newborns was 2185g. \ 4 % of the infa nts died, mainly from hyaline membrane disease or respiralory distress syndrome. Five percent of infants were unhealthy at or shonly after birth (mainly owing to congenital abnormalities). There were no maternal deaths. Complications of salbutamollherapy included chest pain or lightness (12 patients), tachycardia of > 160 beats/ min (8) and myocardial ischaemia (3). Pulmonary' oedema occurred in 4 women who had received belamelhasone althe same time as salbutamol. Mild hyperglycaemia, occurred in several fetuses, whereas tachycardia (4 cases) and dislress (5 cases) were rarer. 'The results provide substantial further evidence that salbutamol infusions, properly supervised. are extremely safe for both mother and fetus.' PioclI">. R.: A0J5lralian and New Zealand J(lur!lal ofObslelriC'l and Gynattolo~y 21: I (Feb 1'lS!.

0156-2703/ 81 / 0509-001 I $00.50/ 0 !:I ADIS Pl"ess INPHARMA9May1981 11