Comparison Between Glyceryl Trinitrate and Ritodrine As a Tocolytic Agent in Pre-Term Labour

Abstract

Objective: To compared the efficacies between glyceryl trinitrate and Ritodrine as a tocolytic agent in pre-term labour. Study design: Descriptive cases series. Settings: District Head Quarter Hospital, Faisalabad-Pakistan. Duration: Six months from July 2017 to December 2017. Methodology: In this study the cases of age 20 to 40 years undergoing pre-term labour were included. The diagnosis of pre-term labour was made on the basis on clinical examination of regular rhythmic contraction at one/ every 10 minutes and dilation of cervix less than 3 cm. The cases in group A were treated with transdermal patch of glyceryl trinitrate (10 mg), which is replaced every 24 hours just below the umbilicus and those in group B were treated with Ritodrine infusion at a dose of 0.05 mg/mint for 24 hours and then tablet Ritodrine of 10 mg every 4 hour. The efficacy was labelled as yes where rhythmic these contractions stop for 12 hours. Results: In this study there were total 100 cases, 50 in each group. There was no significant difference in terms of mean age 31.23± 7.11 vs 30.12±6.47 years in group A and B with p= 0.45. There were 16 (32%) cases in group A and 18 (36%) in B with history of C section with p= 0.88. The efficacy was seen in 44 (88%) of cases in group A as compared to 36 (72%) of cases in group B with p= 0.03. The mean time taken to stop contractions was 4.33±2.56 vs 7.02±3.39 in group A and B respectively with p= 0.001. Conclusion: Glyceryl trinitrate is significantly better than Ritodrine in stopping pre-mature labour and this difference is significantly better both in mean time to stop contractions and the average time taken to delivery.