Abstract
Abstract: Magnesium sulphate is effective in the prevention and treatment of seizures of preeclampsia. Although postulated to have antihypertensive effects; its use as an antihypertensive in preeclampsia management is however yet to be established. Our study aimed to determine the relationship between serum magnesium and blood pressure levels during treatment of preeclampsia with magnesium sulphate. It is a secondary analysis of data obtained from a prospective cross sectional study, on the clinical and biochemical correlates of preeclampsia among 75 patients who were administered magnesium sulphate (MgS04) using the Pritchard protocol. The results of serum magnesium assay obtained before each dose of MgS04, were correlated with the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), using Pearson correlation statistics. The participants were mostly admitted in the antepartum period 67/75 (89.3%), with mean gestational age of 36.4±3.0 weeks. The mean loading dose (LD)-delivery interval was 5.94±4.2hrs. Significant proteinuria was predictive of severe hypertension (95%CI 0.003-0.006, p=0.005) while significantly lower rates of severe hypertension occurred among patients who had convulsed before admission (95%CI 0.073-0.564, p=0.002, OR=0.203). No significant correlation was found between MABP and serum magnesium level before (r=0.223, p=0.054) and during treatment with magnesium sulphate [4hrs (r=0.120, p=0.321), 8hrs (r=0.064, p=0.602), 12hrs (r=0.078, p=0.526), 16hrs (r=-0.026, p=0.834), 20hrs (r=-0.027, p=0.833), 24hrs (r=-0.151, p=0.238)] respectively. Also, severe hypertension (MABP?125mmHg) had no statistically significant relationship with serum magnesium levels throughout treatment; 4hrs (p=0.462), 8hrs (p=0.208), 12hrs (p=0.346), 16hrs (p=0.925), 20hrs (p=0.376) and 24hrs (p=0.887) respectively. While MABP demonstrated a progressive decline in slope until completion, serum magnesium levels had a sinusoidal pattern with a peak at 8hrs. The MABP was not significantly affected by magnesium sulphate administered for seizure treatment. Thus, antihypertensive drugs should be administered for blood pressure control during treatment of preeclampsia with magnesium sulphate
