Randomized comparison of intravenous nitroglycerin and subcutaneous terbutaline for external cephalic version under tocolysis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous nitroglycerin with that of subcutaneous terbutaline as a tocolytic agent for external cephalic version at term.


METHODS
We performed a prospective randomized trial. Patients between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation were assigned randomly to receive either 200 microg of intravenous nitroglycerin therapy or 0.25 mg of subcutaneous terbutaline therapy for tocolysis during external cephalic version. The rate of successful external cephalic version and side effects were compared between groups.


RESULTS
Of 59 randomly assigned patients, 30 patients received intravenous nitroglycerin, and 29 patients received subcutaneous terbutaline. The overall success rate of external cephalic version in the study was 39%. The rate of successful external cephalic version was significantly higher in the terbutaline group (55% vs 23%; P = .01). The incidence of palpitations was significantly higher in patients who received terbutaline therapy (17.2% vs 0%; P = .02), as was the mean maternal heart rate at multiple time periods.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with intravenous nitroglycerin, subcutaneous terbutaline was associated with a significantly higher rate of successful external cephalic version at term.
El-Sayed
Yasser Y
YY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Room HH333, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. yasser.el-sayed@stanford.edu
Pullen
Kristin
K
Riley
Edward T
ET
Lyell
Deirdre
D
Druzin
Maurice L
ML
Cohen
Sheila E
SE
Chitkara
Usha
U
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013726:Terbutaline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015145:Tocolysis / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014710:Version, Fetal / Q000379:methods*
D005996:Nitroglycerin; D013726:Terbutaline