Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (unclear allocation concealment, incomplete outcome data, selective reporting) and by imprecise results (few patients and outcome events).
"?>A Cochrane review included 9 studies with a total of 776 subjects. The included trials examined 7 different comparisons: intravenous (IV) ritodrine plus oral or IV magnesium (sulphate or gluconate) versus IV ritodrine alone (3 trials); IV ritodrine plus indomethacin suppositories versus IV ritodrine alone (one trial); IV ritodrine plus vaginal progesterone versus IV ritodrine alone (one trial); IV hexoprenaline sulphate plus IV magnesium hydrochloride versus IV hexoprenaline sulphate alone (one trial); IV fenoterol plus oral naproxen versus IV fenoterol alone (one trial); oral pentoxifylline plus IV magnesium sulphate plus IV fenoterol versus IV magnesium sulphate plus IV fenoterol (one trial); and, IV terbutaline plus oral metoprolol versus IV terbutaline alone (one trial). In all trials, not many of the primary outcomes were reported. Three trials examined ritodrine plus magnesium compared with ritodrine alone. One study reported more adverse drug reactions, two trials reported discontinuation of therapy due to severe side effects in the combined therapy group; one trial reported increased severe side effects in the group receiving ritodrine alone.
Date of latest search: 31 January 2014