Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Women with Preeclampsia and Eclampsia at a Tertiary Care Center

Aim: Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder of unknown etiology and one of the leading causes of maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Adverse outcomes can be improved by early identification of the disease and timely referral to a tertiary center. The aims of this study were to evaluate the outcomes of preeclampsia-eclampsia cases and share our experiences in a tertiary center. Methods: The study conducted by retrospectively analyzing the data of 350 women who gave birth between 2008 and 2013 at a tertiary care center. Results: The mean age of the enrolled women was 35 years, the mean gestational age at delivery-36 weeks, the mean birth weight-2.73 kg, and the mean platelet count was 204.000/ mm3. The incidence of preterm deliveries was 66.6%. Severe preeclampsia was noted in 29.4% of cases. Neonatal intensive care unit admissions were seen in 10.6% of cases. A total of 22.9% of these women had vaginal deliveries, while the other 77.1% underwent cesarean section. High systolic blood pressure and elevated serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase values had significant independent effects of differentiating between mild and severe preeclampsia. Conclusion: Fetomaternal morbidity and mortality rates associated with hypertensive disorders are alarming, especially in developing countries. As such, the high-risk obstetric population should be screened earlier in pregnancy. A system allowing early referral in these cases should be created. (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2015; 53:143-6