The MAGPIE trial established magnesium sulphate as the standard of care for preventing eclampsia. What number-needed-to-treat (NNT) does the trial report for preventing one eclamptic seizure in women with pre-eclampsia?

• A Approximately 10
• B Approximately 50
• C Approximately 200
• D Approximately 100 ✓

Explanation

The MAGPIE trial (Lancet 2002) enrolled >10,000 women and found that magnesium sulphate reduced the risk of eclampsia by 58% compared to placebo. The NNT was approximately 100 (about 1 seizure prevented for every 100 women treated). This seemingly high NNT is still clinically worthwhile given the severity of eclampsia. The COLLABORATIVE ECLAMPSIA trial earlier confirmed MgSO4 superiority over diazepam and phenytoin for treating established eclampsia.

Reference: Williams Obstetrics, 26th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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