Factors Affecting Antenatal Corticosteroid Administration from the Obstetricians' Viewpoint

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the factors affecting antenatal corticosteroid administration from the obstetricians’ viewpoint. STUDY DESIGN: The pregnant women who delivered between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation were di- vided into two groups: Group 1, pregnant patients given corticosteroid therapy; Group 2, pregnant pa- tients who were not given corticosteroid therapy. The indications for delivery, gestational week at ad- ministration, dosing, residence and manner of transfer of the patients to the tertiary center, and the in- terval between admission to hospital and delivery were evaluated. RESULTS: The percentage of patients who received antenatal corticosteroid treatment was 68.4%, whereas 31.6% of the pregnant women didn’t receive corticosteroid therapy. The most common indica- tions for preterm delivery were preterm labor and severe preeclampsia. The interval between admission to hospital and delivery was significantly higher in group 1. CONCLUSION: Even though obstetricians are aware of the importance of corticosteroid treatment in preterm deliveries, indications for impending delivery can affect administration of the therapy. Keywords: Preterm delivery, Antenatal corticosteroid administration, Affecting factors, Obstetrician, viewpoint