Effects of intrapartum zidovudine therapy on fetal heart rate parameters in women with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of intrapartum maternal administration of zidovudine on fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters in women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).


METHODS
Term HIV-infected women who delivered at our institution (1995-1998) were identified by medical records coding. Sixty minutes of FHR tracing prior to zidovudine administration and 60 min of FHR tracing 2 h after initiation of therapy were reviewed by 3 perinatologists blinded to patient status. Data were compared with paired t tests; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Inter- and intra-observer FHR interpretation variation were calculated.


RESULTS
Ten patients met study criteria. Their demographic data included: Maternal age 26.5 +/- 6.5 years, gestational age 38.9 +/- 1.3 weeks, median parity 2 (range 0-3). Eighty percent were African American. There were no significant differences in FHR parameters after intravenous zidovudine therapy (pretreatment versus 2 h after treatment) with respect to FHR baseline (p = 0.2), FHR variability (p = 0.3), or the number of accelerations (p = 0.1). There was also no difference in the number of variable (moderate or severe), early, or prolonged decelerations following zidovudine infusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Two hours of continuous intrapartum intravenous infusion of zidovudine does not alter any parameter of the FHR in the laboring HIV-infected gravida.
Blackwell
S C
SC
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hutzel Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich, USA. sblackwe@med.wayne.edu
Sahai
A
A
Hassan
S S
SS
Treadwell
M C
MC
Tomlinson
M W
MW
Jones
T B
TB
Sorokin
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015215:Zidovudine