Anesthesia in pregnant women with HELLP syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine the types of anesthesia and neurologic or hematologic complications found in pregnancy with HELLP syndrome providing analgesia for cesarean section.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study. For the period of 1 July 1996, through 30 June 2000, we reviewed the charts of all patients with HELLP syndrome who had cesarean section.


RESULTS
During the period of study 119 patients had HELLP syndrome. Eighty-five patients had cesarean delivery and 34 had vaginal delivery. Seventy-one patients had diagnosed HELLP syndrome previous to the anesthesia and 14 postcesarean delivery; the range platelet count was 19000-143000/microl. Of these 71, 58 had an epidural anesthesia, 9 had general anesthesia and 4 had spinal anesthesia. There were no neurologic complications or bleeding in the epidural space.


CONCLUSIONS
We found no documentation of any neurologic or hematologic complications of women with HELLP syndrome and neuraxial anesthesia.
Vigil-De Gracia
P
P
Gynecology and Obstetric Unit, Complejo Hospitalario Metropolitano de la Caja de Seguro Social, Panama, Panama. pvigil-d@cwp.net.pa
Silva
S
S
Montufar
C
C
Carrol
I
I
De Los Rios
S
S
D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000009:adverse effects; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000009:adverse effects; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies