Effect of Furosemide Administration on Controlling High Blood Pressure After Cesarean Section in Women With Mild Preeclampsia: A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of furosemide administration on controlling high blood pressure after Cesarean section (CS) in women with mild preeclampsia. 

This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted on 120 women with mild preeclampsia after CS in Khalij Fars Hospital, Bandar Abbas, south of Iran, in 2017. They were randomly allocated to two groups of oral furosemide (20 mg daily for five days) and placebo. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were measured in all patients on days 0 (before treatment), 1, 3, 5, and 7 after delivery. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 19, using independent t-test and chi-square test. 

Before treatment, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding systolic and diastolic blood pressures, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate. However, systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the furosemide groups on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days after delivery compared to the placebo group (P<0.05). Diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the furosemide group only on the first day after delivery. Also, mean arterial pressure was significantly lower in the furosemide group on days 1 (P<0.001) and 3 (P=0.021). At the end of the treatment, blood pressure was controlled in 70% of patients in the furosemide group and 50% of patients in the placebo group (P=0.025). 

It seems that 20 mg oral furosemide taken daily for five days after CS can significantly reduce systolic blood pressure on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days after delivery in women with mild preeclampsia.