Delayed postpartum preeclampsia: an experience of 151 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia affects 6% to 8% of pregnancies. There are few data regarding hypertensive disorders that are diagnosed in the postpartum period. Our purpose was to determine the demographics, outcomes, and treatment of this complication.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a multicenter retrospective study of women who had received a diagnosis of hypertension/preeclampsia in the postpartum period. Inclusion criteria were readmission of a patient with this diagnosis (<or=6 weeks after the delivery).

RESULTS: Data from 151 women were studied. Complications included 24 cases (15.9%) of eclampsia, 9 cases (5.9%) of pulmonary edema, 6 cases (3.9%) of endomyometritis, 2 cases (1.3%) of thromboembolism, and 1 case of maternal death. Seventy-eight patients required antihypertensive medications on discharge. Subanalysis performed between the eclamptic and non-eclamptic women showed no difference among groups.

CONCLUSION: Delivery does not eliminate the risk for preeclampsia and its complications. Efforts should be directed at the continued monitoring, reporting, and evaluating of the symptoms of preeclampsia during the postpartum period.