Continuous subcutaneous terbutaline pump therapy for premature labor: safety and efficacy.

To assess the usefulness of a continuous subcutaneous pump infusion of terbutaline for long-term tocolysis, we used this modality in 13 patients in whom other tocolytic regimens had failed. The mean (+/- standard deviation) maternal age was 29.9 +/- 3.8 years. The study population included 10 singleton gestations, two sets of triplets, and one twin pregnancy. In three cases, the terbutaline pump was thought to have been successful (duration of pump therapy, 52.7 +/- 20.9 days; gestational age at delivery, 37.1 +/- 1.3 weeks), whereas in six cases marginal success was achieved (duration, 42.2 +/- 27.7 days; gestational age at delivery, 33.8 +/- 2.6 weeks). In the remaining four patients, pump therapy was discontinued after 2 to 23 days because of maternal complications. In contrast to previous reports, we achieved only limited success with the subcutaneous terbutaline pump in the small number of patients studied.