Comparative study of nifedipine and isoxpurine as tocolytics for preterm labor.

OBJECTIVES This study was done to compare isoxpurine hydrochloride and nifedipine as tocolytic drugs for preterm labor. METHODS A prospective cohort study of 832 antenatal women with preterm labor was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Out of 400 women found eligible for tocolysis, 200 were given isoxpurine hydrochloride while the other 200 were given nifedipine randomly. The data obtained was statistically analyzed on SPSS 10.0 of Windows 2003. RESULTS Incidence of preterm labor was 22% while the incidence of preterm delivery was 20.9%. Nifedipine was twice more effective than isoxpurine hydrochloride as a tocolytic agent as a tocolytic agent (P value 0.006) while side effects were comparable (P value 0.133). In early-diagnosed preterm labor, nifedipine had higher efficacy than isoxpurine (P value 6.45 × 10(-6)) and also higher efficacy than its own in late diagnosed preterm labor (P value 2.08 × 10(-5)). CONCLUSIONS There is a high incidence of preterm labor in India. Nifedipine is a better tocolytic drug than isoxpurine hydrochloride, especially when started with the earliest signs of preterm labor.