Acute Tocolysis With Terbutaline vs Placebo Prior to Emergency Caesarean Delivery for Suspected Intrauterine Fetal Compromise

The trial was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study using subcutaneous terbutaline for acute tocolysis prior to emergency caesarean delivery in suspected fetal distress. The intervention (subcutaneous terbutaline) was compared to placebo looking at the neonatal and maternal outcomes. The primary outcome was the proportion of babies with neonatal acidosis (based on umbilical artery blood sampling at delivery). Other outcome of interest were the mean cord pH and base excess, the Apgar score at 5 minutes after delivery, he proportion of babies requiring intubation and admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The maternal outcomes of interest were the changes in mean arterial pressure (before and after the drug or placebo injection), the maternal heart rate changes, the estimated blood loss, and the hematocrit changes.