Characterization of patients admitted in intensive care services due to preeclampsia or eclampsia

Abstract

Introduction: Preeclampsia produces proteinuria, edema and arterial hypertension. Eclampsia can appear during preeclampsia or with convulsions in the acute forms. Both states usually are produced at the end of the pregnancy, or during or after the birth.
Objectives: Characterize pregnant or postpartum women with preeclampsia-eclampsia admitted in the Adults Intensive Care Unit of ́ ́Octavio de la Concepción Pedraja ́ ́ Teaching General Hospital in Baracoa, Guantánamo province, Cuba.
Methods: Descriptive, prospective and longitudinal study that included 38 patients who underwent a complete physical examination, complementary studies useful for the diagnosis and to whom it was applied the APACHE II index.
Results: There was predominance of postpartum women with preeclampsia and of ages from 21 to 35 years. The most commonly found risk factors were personal background of arterial hypertension, extreme ages and family history of preeclampsia. The hospital stay
ranged from 4 to 5 days in both groups. There was no mortality in the patients admitted.
Conclusions: With a strategy of early follow-up in pregnant and postpartum women with risk, it can be achieved a diagnostic of severe and incipient forms of preeclampsia, and in that way improve the survival rates in this serious cases.