Elevated midtrimester mean arterial blood pressure in women with severe preeclampsia.
Although early identification of pregnant women who are at risk for severe preeclampsia may help reduce maternal-perinatal sequelae, an adequate screening test for this disorder has not been described. The purpose of this study was to determine if a group of women (n = 57) who developed severe preeclampsia had a higher midtrimester mean arterial pressure (MAP-2) than a matched group of women (n = 57) who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy and the puerperium. It was found that women who developed severe preeclampsia had a significantly higher MAP-2 than normotensive women and significantly more preeclamptic subjects had an MAP-2 > or = 85 mmHg than did control subjects. Thus, an elevated MAP-2 may help identify women who are at risk for the development of severe preeclampsia.
Atterbury
J L
JL
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Nursing, University of South Alabama, Mobile 36617, USA.
Groome
L J
LJ
Baker
S L
SL
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index