Pre-eclampsia (PE) is one of the most frequent pregnancy complications and is one of the main causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in its severe form.
Pre-eclampsia characterized by
* Rising blood pressure (BP ≥ 140/90 that occurs after 20 weeks of gestation in a woman with previously normal BP.
* . Proteinuria (≥300mg/24hr . This correlates with 30mg/dl or ≥1+ on urine dipstick)
* Edema control of blood pressure is of crucial importance to avoid maternal and fetal complications.
The pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia is most likely inadequate placentation, leading to endothelial dysfunction and reduced nitric oxide bioavailability. Therapeutic modalities that can target the underlying pathophysiological changes and reverse the endothelial dysfunction could help to ameliorate the systemic manifestations in patients with severe PE. Either Intravenous labetalol and nitroglycerine as well as sublingual nifedipine have been frequantly used for the management of acute severe hypertension in PE
. Nitroglycerine, a nitric oxide donor with low oral bioavailability and a very short half-life, has a potent venodilator effect in low doses and affects arterial tone at high doses Labetalol is useful as it contains both selective, competitive, alpha1-adrenergic antagonism and non-selective, competitive, beta-adrenergic (B1 and B2) blocking activity in a single agent Nifedipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. Its main uses are as an antianginal and antihypertensive
