title: Insufficient efficacy of intravenous ketanserin in severe early-onset pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the efficacy of intravenous ketanserin in controlling blood pressure of severe early-onset pre-eclamptic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-eclamptic patients (n=47) with a gestational age (GA) between 21 and 32 weeks were treated with intravenous ketanserin in a maximum dosage of 14 mg/h, to obtain a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or below. The number of patients reaching and maintaining target blood pressure was retrospectively assessed. Patient characteristics associated with an adequate or inadequate response to ketanserin treatment were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a maximum intravenous dosage of ketanserin, target blood pressure was not achieved in 15 (32%) patients. A high systolic blood pressure at the start of treatment was significantly (p=0.02) associated with failure of ketanserin treatment. The median period of ketanserin treatment in the responding group was 3 days (range 1-10 days). In 26 (55%) of initially successfully treated patients, additional antihypertensive drugs had to be added to maintain adequate blood pressure control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous ketanserin lacks antihypertensive efficacy in a substantial proportion of severe pre-eclamptic patients, despite high dosages. In patients who initially respond well to ketanserin treatment, additional antihypertensive treatment is often necessary to maintain adequate blood pressure control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. l.hanff@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Lidwien M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hanff
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: Danielle W E
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Roofthooft
authors.forename: Andras
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vermes
authors.forename: Wim C J
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.forename: Eric A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.forename: Arnold G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Vulto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000187:drug effects; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007650:Ketanserin