A nurse is caring for a client who is in pre-term labor.

Which of the following maternal complications is most likely to occur due to prolonged bed rest?

Tocolytics are a category of drugs used to delay the labor process.These may be used in situations when a pregnant person begins showing signs of preterm labor —which is any time before 37 weeks of completed pregnancy.Tocolytics may help delay labor by two to seven days.

Some possible explanations for the other choices are:

• Choice A. Administering intravenous fluids.

This is not a correct answer because intravenous fluids are not effective in suppressing uterine contractions.They may be used to correct dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, which can sometimes trigger preterm labor, but they are not a primary intervention for preterm labor.

• Choice C. Administering corticosteroids.

This is not a correct answer because corticosteroids are not tocolytics.They do not stop or slow down uterine contractions, but they help accelerate fetal lung maturity and reduce the risk of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and other complications of prematurity.

Corticosteroids are often given along with tocolytics, but they have a different function and mechanism of action.

• Choice D. Administering antibiotics.

This is not a correct answer because antibiotics are not tocolytics.They may be used to treat infections that can cause or complicate preterm labor, such as chorioamnionitis or group B streptococcus, but they do not directly affect uterine contractions.

Antibiotics may be given along with tocolytics, but they have a different function.

Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker that is used to relax uterine contractions and postpone preterm labor.However, it can also lower blood pressure and cause side effects such as headache, dizziness, flushing, and palpitations.Therefore, it should be avoided in clients who have cardiac disease or other conditions that affect the heart function.

Choice A is wrong because asthma is not a contraindication for nifedipine.Nifedipine does not affect the airways or cause bronchospasm.

Choice B is wrong because diabetes mellitus is not a contraindication for nifedipine.Nifedipine does not affect blood glucose levels or insulin secretion.

Choice C is wrong because hypertension is not a contraindication for nifedipine.In fact, nifedipine can be used to treat high blood pressure as well as preterm labor.However, blood pressure should be monitored closely during nifedipine therapy to avoid hypotension.