Treatment of severe pre-eclampsia by acetyl salicylic acid.

Low-dose Aspirin inhibits thromboxane A2 with minimal effects on prostacyclin and induces clinical improvements in pre-eclampsia. Two groups of pre-eclamptic women (10 in each) were treated either by low-dose acetyl salicylic acid (group I) or by conventional therapy (group II). Both groups showed a significant drop in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a decrease in temperature, edema and albuminuria and an increase in urine volume. These effects were more significant in group I than in group II, except for the diastolic blood pressure. The obstetric progress and perinatal outcome were rather similar in both groups. These data offer a new potential therapeutic measure for the management of severe pre-eclampsia and call for further evaluation in a larger group of cases.