Maternal deaths from neurological complications of hypertensive crises in pregnancy.

Fourteen maternal deaths from eclampsia or severe pre-eclampsia where disturbed cerebral function, as evidenced by prolonged unconsciousness, was given as the main cause of death are reviewed. Prolonged duration of seizures, hypotensive/hypoxic episodes, cerebral oedema and intracranial haematomas were most frequently identified as causative agents in the development of cerebral dysfunction. Failure to maintain an airway and iatrogenically induced hypotension were the two most important contributory factors to the patients' deaths. Management recommendations to prevent this type of maternal death are given.