title: Assessment of the quality and content of national and international guidelines on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy using the AGREE II instrument.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High-quality evidence-based clinical practice guidelines can guide diagnosis and treatment to optimise outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and content of national and international guidelines on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MEDLINE database, the National Guideline Clearinghouse and several international databases were searched for appropriate guidelines from the past 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six guidelines met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 695 records were identified and screened by two authors. Disorder definitions, classifications, preventive measures and treatment recommendations were evaluated and compared among guidelines. AGREE II results varied widely across domains and categories. Only two guidelines received consistently high ratings across domains and few demonstrated a high level of methodological rigour. Recommendations regarding classification and treatment were similar across guidelines, while assessment of preventive measures varied widely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical practice guidelines for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy vary significantly in quality and with respect to assessment of preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Alessandra N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bazzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans,  Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8970-5116
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans,  Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madison
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans,  Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.affiliation: Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gillispie
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans,  Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Lydia A L
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bazzano
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*