OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of Salviae injection and ligustrazine injection (S & L) in combining with Western medicine for treatment of early onset of severe pre-eclampsia (EOSP), and its impact on pregnancy.

METHODSAn open prospective controlled study was conducted on 63 women suffering from EOSP during the 29th-32th week of pregnancy. They were assigned, according to the sequence of hospitalizing, to the treated group (32 cases) and the control group (31 cases). Both groups were treated with conventional Western medical treatment, but S & L were administered additionally to the treated group. Levels of plasma D-dimer, blood viscosity, and outcome of the pregnancy were analyzed.

RESULTSThe effect in prolonging the pregnancy and lowing the incidence of fetal distress and newborn death in the treated group was superior to that in the control group, the corresponding data were 11.0 +/- 1.2 days, 11 cases, 4 cases in the treated group and 6.0 +/- 1.5 days, 16 cases and 8 cases in the control group, respectively. Levels of blood viscosity ratio and D-dimer in the treated group were lowered significantly after treatment (1.20 +/- 0.13 vs 2.29 +/- 0.13, 1.61 +/- 0.45 mg/L vs 2.40 +/- 0.09 mg/L), which had no remarkable change in the control group.

CONCLUSIONCombined application of S & L for treatment of EOSP could improve the blood hyperviscosity, prolong the pregnancy week, and improve the outcome of pregnancy to reduce incidence of perinatal morbidity and mortality in patients.