Función cardiaca fetal en preeclámpticas tratadas con parches de nitroglicerina

Abstract

ObjectiveTo identify modifications foetal cardiac function in pre-eclampsia patients treated with nitroglycerin patches. MethodThe sample consisted of 50 pre-eclampsia nulliparous patients with pregnancies of more than 25 weeks who attended the obstetric emergency service at Hospital Central Dr. Urquinaona, Maracaibo, Venezuela. Maternal haemodynamic changes and cardiac functions by M-mode, pulsed-wave, and tissue Doppler echocardiography were evaluated. Treatment consisted of 5mg transdermal nitroglycerin patches, applied in the anterior thoracic and lumbar region of patients for 12hours (total time of 48hours). After 24hours and 48hours of treatment beginning, maternal haemodynamic and foetal echocardiography variables were evaluated. All parameters were evaluated in each patient. ResultsMean age of patients was 24.4±3.9 years-old, and mean gestational age at beginning of research was 33.2±1.7 weeks. Treatment with nitroglycerin patches produced significant reduction in maternal blood pressure and a significant increase in maternal heart rate in both periods of evaluation (p<.0001). There were observed no changes in general foetal echocardiographic findings, echocardiographic findings in both ventricles and tissue Doppler values after 24hours and 48hours of treatment compared with values previous to treatment (p=ns). ConclusionThe use of transdermal nitroglycerin patches in pre-eclampsia patients did not produce significant changes in foetal cardiac function.