Before initiating terbutaline (Brethine) for preterm labor, the nurse should assess for which condition?

Before initiating terbutaline (Brethine) for preterm labor, the nurse should assess for which condition?

• A. Gestational Diabetes
• B. Elevated Blood Pressure
• C. Urinary Tract Infection
• D. Swelling In Lower Extremities

Answer: (A)

Terbutaline tocolysis relaxes uterine smooth muscle by stimulating beta-2 receptors, but it also has systemic metabolic effects, notably raising blood glucose. In a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes, adding a medication that elevates glucose can make glucose control harder, requiring closer maternal glucose monitoring and possible insulin adjustments. There’s also a risk that fetal insulin production could respond to maternal hyperglycemia, increasing the chance of neonatal hypoglycemia after birth. Because of this direct impact on glucose metabolism, assessing whether gestational diabetes is present before starting terbutaline is essential to manage both maternal and fetal risks effectively. Elevated blood pressure, urinary tract infection, and edema are important clinical considerations in pregnancy, but they do not interact with terbutaline’s primary action as clearly as glucose control does.

Terbutaline tocolysis relaxes uterine smooth muscle by stimulating beta-2 receptors, but it also has systemic metabolic effects, notably raising blood glucose. In a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes, adding a medication that elevates glucose can make glucose control harder, requiring closer maternal glucose monitoring and possible insulin adjustments. There’s also a risk that fetal insulin production could respond to maternal hyperglycemia, increasing the chance of neonatal hypoglycemia after birth. Because of this direct impact on glucose metabolism, assessing whether gestational diabetes is present before starting terbutaline is essential to manage both maternal and fetal risks effectively.

Elevated blood pressure, urinary tract infection, and edema are important clinical considerations in pregnancy, but they do not interact with terbutaline’s primary action as clearly as glucose control does.