Acute renal failure complicating severe preeclampsia requiring admission to an obstetric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE

To determine risk factors and outcomes for women with severe preeclampsia and renal failure.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study from 1995 to 1998 of all women with renal failure who were admitted to the obstetric intensive care unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa. A total of 89 women were identified with severe preeclampsia defined as blood pressure > or = 160/110 mm Hg and > or = 2+ proteinuria, renal failure defined as a creatinine level of > or = 1.13 mg/dL, and oliguria defined as < 100 mL urine produced in 4 hours; 72 charts were available for analysis. A comparison was made between the 3 groups, which were defined by the maximum recorded creatinine levels.

RESULTS

Of the 72 women, 31 women (43%) were primiparous and 41 (57%) were multiparous. Median gestation at delivery was 32 weeks (range, 21-40 weeks). The median maximum creatinine was 3.85 mg/dL (range, 1.13-12.50 mg/dL). Twelve women (16%) had a history of chronic renal disease or hypertension, and 36 women (50%) had HELLP syndrome and 23 (32%) abruptio placentae. All women with severe renal impairment had either abruptio placentae or hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome. Perinatal mortality was 38% (27/72). However, in this series only 7 women (10%) required dialysis in the short term and none required long-term dialysis or kidney transplant. There were no maternal deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

In women with severe preeclampsia and renal failure, major obstetric complications were common and perinatal outcome was poor. However, the need for dialysis was infrequent, with only 10% women requiring transient dialysis, and there were no cases of chronic renal failure that required dialysis or kidney transplant.