title: [Transdermal nitroglycerin versus oral nifedipine administration for tocolysis: a randomized clinical trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to compare the effectiveness of transdermal nitroglycerin with oral nifedipine in the inhibition of preterm delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  a clinical essay has been performed with 50 women in preterm delivery, randomly divided into two groups, 24 receiving oral nifedipine (20 mg), and 26, transdermal nitroglycerin (10 mg patch). Patients with a single gestation, between the 24th and the 34th weeks and diagnosis of preterm delivery were selected. Women with fetal malformation and clinical or obstetric diseases were excluded. The variables analyzed were: effective tocolysis, time needed for tocolysis, recurrence frequency, progression to preterm delivery, and side effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  tocolysis efficacy in the first 12 hours was similar between the groups (nitroglycerin: 84.6% versus nifedipine: 87.5%; p=0.50). The time average time needed for tocolysis was also similar (6.6 versus 5.8 hours; p=0.30). There was no difference between the groups, concerning the recurrence of preterm delivery (26.9 versus 16.7%; p=0.30), and neither in the rate of preterm delivery within 48 hours (15.4 versus 12.5%; p=0.50). Nevertheless, the cephalea rate was significantly higher in the Nitroglycerin Group (30.8 versus 8.3%; p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  transdermal nitroglycerin has presented similar effectiveness to oral nifedipine to inhibit preterm delivery in the first 48 hours, however with higher cephalea frequency.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira, Recife, PE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Melania Maria Ramos
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Luis André Marinho
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lippo
authors.forename: Aurélio Antônio Ribeiro
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Isabela Cristina
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: Alex Sandro Rolland
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015145:Tocolysis; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015149:Tocolytic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D009543:Nifedipine