9. Perinatal care for zambian pregnant women complicated with preeclampsia: The medication rooted in the region to stabilize its local management in zimba

Abstract

Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) that is associated with proteinuria or some organ failure and it is still a major cause of perinatal death worldwide. Maternal mortality in developing countries is high due to PE. To reduce the maternal mortality in Zambia, it is important to survey the status of PE and prevent eclampsia. At first, we aimed at surveillance of obstetric status in Zambia. Objectives In this study, we surveyed detailed obstetric profile including PE morbidity in local area of Zambia and aimed at raising awareness of PE statistics at a low-income local area in Zambia. Methods All deliveries from January through December in 2017 at Zimba Mission Hospital, Zambia were enrolled in this study. The number of patients complicated with preeclampsia and eclampsia were analyzed, and the clinical condition, the treatment, and the outcome were also analyzed. Results Among the 1712 deliveries in Zimba, 42 women (2.6%) were complicated with HDP (gestational hypertension (GH): 17, PE: 25). There was two still births in PE. All eclampsia (n = 8; 19.0%) happened out of hospital and the patients were taken to our hospital. Magnesium sulfate was administered to PE patients by intramuscular injection to prevent the occurrence of eclampsia along the suitable protocol for low-income pregnant women proposed by University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Zambia and no eclampsia happened later. Conclusions We surveyed and evaluated the obstetric profile and morbidity of PE. The protocol for preventing eclampsia by UTH was suitable for a local clinic and hospital for low-income pregnant women in Zambia. However, the morbidity of eclampsia is still high out of hospital. We have to educate pregnant women about the seriousness of PE and encourage to measure BP of pregnant women in local clinic and hospital in Zambia.