Influence of Long-Term Beta-Mimetic Therapy on the Lecithin Content of Amniotic Fluid

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The lecithin content of 157 amniotic fluid samples taken from 60 patients who had been treated with Fenoterol over a long period of time (longer than 30 mg/daily per os for 14 days; intravenous infusion for longer than 7 days) was calculated thin-layer chromatographically according to Kynast and Saling. These lecithin levels were statistically compared with the levels in a control group (Wilcoxon test). It emerged that the lecithin levels in the long-term Β-mimetic therapy group were significantly lower, i.e., from 33/0 to 39/6 (33/0–34/6, p < 0.05; 35/0–39/6, p < 0.01). The answer to the question how often levels occur in the long-term group which are below the as critical described level of 3 mg Lec/100 ml amniotic fluid appears to be clinically important. It is shown that values below the critical level from 33/0 to 39/6 are much more frequent in the long-term /Β-mimetics therapy group than in the control group. There is no known explanation for this. It was concluded that the application of /Β-mimetics in cases of long-term tocolysis should only be discontinued when the lecithin content of the amniotic fluid lies above the critical limit of 3 mg Lec/100 ml.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: