signs, and/or laboratory findings of preeclampsia.5 In lowresource
settings, where access to health care is limited,
eclampsia occurs with greater frequency.6,7
In 1925, magnesium sulphate was introduced into clinical
practice to treat eclampsia.8 Since then, MgSO4 has been
proven to more than halve the risk of occurrence of
eclampsia in women with preeclampsia and of recurrence
in women with eclampsia.9–12 A Cochrane review of
alternative MgSO4 dosing regimens included four
randomized controlled trials from LMICs, three from
India, and one from South Africa.13 MgSO4 is recognized
by the World Health Organization and the United Nations
as both a priority medicine and a life-saving commodity for
the treatment of severe preeclampsia and/or eclampsia.14
MgSO4 is generally administered parenterally in a loading
dose (IV with or without additional IM dosing) followed
by maintenance dosing (by continuous IV infusion or
intermittent IM injections). The two most commonly
used regimens are the Zuspan regimen (a loading dose
of 4 g IV, and maintenance dosing of 1 g/hr IV) and the
Pritchard regimen (loading doses of 4 g IV and 10 g IM,