OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect of compound salvia injection combined with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in treating pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis (ICP) and its influence on perinatal babies.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-eight patients of ICP were assigned to two groups. The 72 patients in the treatment group were treated with salvia injection (20 mL in 10% glucose 500 mL for intravenous dripping once a day) and UDCA (15 mg, thrice daily by oral taken), and the 56 patients in the control group were treated with UDCA alone, all were treated for 14 days. Changes of itching symptom (estimated by scoring) and serum levels of biochemical indexes, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin (TBil) and glycocholic acid (GCA), were determined before and after treatment, and conditions of the newborns were compared after delivery.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment, scores of itching were lowered from 3.6 scores to 1.4 scores in the treatment group, and from 3.4 scores to 1.6 scores in the control group, showing no significant difference between groups (P > 0.05), but the lowering was shown earlier in the former. Levels of biochemical indexes were improved significantly (P < 0.01) in both groups, but the improvements were more significant in the treatment group, the difference between groups was significant (P < 0.05). The difference between groups in the incidence of fetal distress, meconium-stained fluid and neonatal asphyxia were insignificant (P > 0.05). The birth weights of the newborns were higher in the treatment group than in the control group (3,108 +/- 236 g vs 2,681 +/- 269 g, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combined therapy of compound salvia injection and UDCA shows better effect in treating ICP than that of UDCA alone.