Pharmacokinetics of furosemide in gestosis of pregnancy

Abstract

Furosemide 50 mg was administered orally and intravenously to twelve gestotic women for brief periods as a part of a randomized, multicentre clinical trial comparing the efficacy of bed rest and pharmacological treatment. The pharmacokinetic profile was investigated using a gas-liquid chromatographic technique. The plasma half-life after oral and intravenous administration was 115±37.1 and 71.8±26.3 min and plasma clearance was 153±48 and 152±23 ml/min, respectively (mean±SD). Comparative data from healthy pregnant women cannot be obtained for ethical reasons. The results show that gestosis has only a marginal if any effect on the kinetics of furosemide in comparison with published kinetic parameters in healthy volunteers and patients with renal failure. The new-born babies where checked for side effects according to a protocol in use in a larger regional surveillance programme. No clinical side-effects were attributable to furosemide, but the small size of the group does not permit any definitive conclusions about this aspect.