Obstetricians have traditionally used magnesium sulfate in the treatment of eclamptic seizures.1 Neurologists, on the other hand, have argued that "magnesium sulfate should not be used as an anticonvulsant therapy for either acute seizure control or seizure prophylaxis" in the patient with eclampsia.2 Indeed, some have gone so far as to suggest that "magnesium sulfate should be relegated to the laboratory, a clinical trial, or history."3 This unyielding stance by neurologists is primarily based on the presumption that magnesium has poor anticonvulsant properties.2 However, two recent studies4,5 conclusively demonstrated the superiority of magnesium over phenytoin or diazepam in preventing seizure recurrence in patients with eclampsia.
Seizures in patients with eclampsia are classified as secondary, as opposed to primary. This distinction is important since treatment of the condition underlying secondary seizures will have an "anticonvulsant" effect. For example, correction of hyponatremia lessens seizure recurrence in severe
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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