Kavita Nanda, Lynley A Cook, Maria F Gallo, David A Grimes

Women with preterm labor that is arrested with tocolytic therapy are at increased risk of recurrent preterm labor. Terbutaline pump maintenance therapy has been given to such women to decrease the risk of recurrent preterm labor, preterm birth, and its consequences. To determine the effectiveness and safety of terbutaline pump maintenance therapy after threatened preterm labor in preventing preterm birth and its complications. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (searched May 2002) and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2002). Randomized trials comparing terbutaline pump maintenance therapy with alternative therapy, placebo, or no therapy after threatened preterm labor. Two reviewers independently assessed the studies for inclusion and then extracted data from eligible studies. We included two studies. Terbutaline pump maintenance therapy did not appear to offer any advantages over the saline placebo pump or oral terbutaline maintenance therapy in preventing preterm births by prolonging pregnancy or its complications among women with arrested preterm labor. The weighted mean difference (WMD) for gestational age at birth was -0.1 weeks (95% confidence interval (CI) -1.7 to 1.4) for terbutaline pump therapy compared with saline placebo pump for both trials combined and 1.4 weeks (95% CI -1.1 to 3.9) for terbutaline pump versus oral terbutaline therapy for the first trial. The second trial reported a relative risk (RR) of 1.17 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.73) of preterm birth (less than 37 completed weeks) and a RR of 0.97 (95% CI 0.51 to 1.84) of very preterm birth (less than 34 completed weeks) for terbutaline pump compared with saline placebo pump. Terbutaline pump therapy also did not result in a higher rate of therapy continuation or a lower rate of infant complications. No data were reported on long-term infant outcomes, costs, or maternal assessment of therapy. Terbutaline pump maintenance therapy has not been shown to decrease the risk of preterm birth by prolonging pregnancy. Furthermore, the lack of information on the safety of the therapy, as well as its substantial expense, argues against its role in the management of arrested preterm labor. Future use should only be in the context of well-conducted, adequately powered randomized controlled trials.