Outcome of pregnancy complicated by pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the outcome of pregnancies complicated by pulmonary hypertension. DESIGN: An observational retrospective study. STUDY POPULATION: Pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension who were admitted to ward 3 for delivery from 1999 to 2002 June. DATA COLLECTION: The required details were obtained from the clinical notes of the patients. RESULTS: Total of 281 pregnant women with heart disease were admitted during this time, out of which in 32 (11.4 percent) women it was complicated by pulmonary hypertension. There were no maternal deaths but 9.1 percent developed pulmonary oedema following delivery, which required intensive care. 43.7 percent underwent caesarean section and 15.6 percent needed instrumental delivery. 90.6 percent were admitted to the intensive care unit either for delivery or following delivery. Sterilisation was not performed in 71.9 percent of which 12.5 percent had 2 or more children. All 32 deliveries resulted in live births, but one early neonatal death was seen. 28.1 percent of pregnancies resulted in preterm deliveries either due to preterm labour or termination by caesarean section. 73.3 percent of the babies were of normal birth weight. 75 percent of low birth weight babies were preterm. CONCLUSION: Management of women with pulmonary hypertension has shown a satisfactory outcome in terms of both maternal and neonatal well-being. Yet appropriate measures in the form of permanent sterilisation following delivery had been inadequately instituted.