[Intensive care management of 28 patients with severe eclampsia in a tropical African setting].
OBJECTIVE
To study the specific management problems of severe eclampsia under tropical latitudes.


METHODS
A two years retrospective study in a University hospital in the tropics.


METHODS
In all patients admitted for eclampsia between January 1997 et December 1999, the following parameters were studied: age, parity, interval between disease et admission, post-eclampsia Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), time of occurrence of eclampsia during pregnancy, delivery route, blood pressure data at admission, the occurrence of complications at admission or during hospital stay.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight mainly primiparous patients (mean age: 26 +/- 6) were admitted with an average delay of 8.5 +/- 10.2 hours after the first symptoms. The time of occurrence was prepartum in 6, perpartum in 14 and postpartum in 8 cases. All patients were hypertensive and comatose with an average GCS of 8 +/- 2.2. Twenty patients had been previously intubated and ventilated. Delivery was natural in 22 and by caesarean section in 6 patients. The following complications were found: acute oliguric renal failure (9), HELLP-syndrome (4), cerebral haemorrhage (4), acute lung oedema (3) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (1). Maternal and child mortality were 35 and 42.8% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Eclampsia is a major cause of both maternal and infantile mortality in developing countries. The authors insist that prevention and management require speedy transfers to adapted specialized obstetrical intensive care structures.
Service d'anesthésie et de réanimation, hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, BP 15708 Dakar Fann, Sénégal.
M D
MD
Beye
E
E
Diouf
O
O
Kane
M D
MD
Ndoye
A
A
Seydi
P I
PI
Ndiaye
B K
BK
Sall
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014329:Tropical Climate