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Magnesium sulfate compared with lytic cocktail for women with eclampsia
1Resource Centre for Randomised Trials, Institute of Health Sciences, Oxford, UK. lelia.duley@ndm.ox.ac.uk
Objective:
To compare magnesium sulfate with lytic cocktail for the treatment of eclampsia.
Methods:
The register of trials kept by the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched for randomized trials comparing magnesium sulfate with lytic cocktail for the treatment of eclampsia.
Results:
Two studies were included (a total of 199 women). Magnesium sulfate was more effective than lytic cocktail at preventing further convulsions [relative risk (RR) 0.09, 95% confidence interval (C.I.)=0.03-0.24; risk difference=0.43, 95% C.I.=-0.53 to -0.34; number needed to treat=3, 95% C.I.=2-3) and was associated with less respiratory depression (RR=0.12, 95% C.I.=0.02-0.91) and fewer baby deaths (RR=0.26, 95% C.I.=0.26-0.79). There were non-significantly fewer maternal deaths associated with magnesium sulfate (RR=0.25, 95% C.I.=0.04-1.43).
Conclusions:
Magnesium sulfate is the anticonvulsant of choice for eclampsia. Lytic cocktail should be abandoned.