Materials and Methods: In this double-blind study, 70 women with violent preeclampsia undergoing cesarean delivery were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either remifentanil 1 ?g/kg or labetalol 0.25 mg/kg before the induction of anesthesia. Then, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and 1, 3, and 5 minutes after the intubation. The first and 5th-minute Apgar scores were evaluated as well.

Results: All hemodynamic variables decreased in both groups after the administration of remifentanil or labetalol. Labetalol significantly attenuated the rise in BP and HR during laryngoscopy and intubation compared to remifentanil (P < 0.001). Eventually, no significant difference was found between the Apgar scores of the two groups (P = 0.97 and P = 0.19, respectively).

Conclusion: Overall, the administration of labetalol before the inspiration of anesthesia can control stress replication to laryngoscopy and shows better intubation and more stability than remifentanil in patients with severe preeclampsia undergoing C-section.