Understanding and comparing practices of managing patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in urban China and the United States.

OBJECTIVES

To describe patient outcomes, management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and evaluate provider knowledge of practice guidelines at a tertiary care center in urban China.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective chart review of patients admitted between September 2017 and March 2018 with a diagnosis of any hypertensive disorder at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University Medical Center in China. Healthcare providers including physicians, midwives, nurses and medical students were surveyed. Patient outcomes were compared to those at the University of Chicago, USA.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, comparative rates of medication administration, mode of delivery, and other pregnancy characteristics were abstracted. Responses regarding definitions, treatment and outcomes of hypertension were analyzed using survey data.

RESULTS

Among 2834 patients, the prevalence of hypertensive disorders at the Zhongnan Hospital was 7.1%, with a 6.4% prevalence of preeclampsia. Compared to hypertensive women from the University of Chicago, hypertensive patients at Zhongnan Hospital were more likely to be older and weigh less but had higher rates of antihypertensive drug administration and delivery via cesarean section. Infants born at Zhongnan Hospital were less likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Survey respondents demonstrated poor knowledge of preeclampsia diagnoses and first line treatments for severe hypertension in pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Although several clinical characteristics of preeclampsia were similar between hospitals, the rates of cesarean section were higher in China. Provider knowledge was most lacking in areas about diagnostic criteria and medication use for preeclampsia. Future studies are needed to explore these differences.