Immediate postpartum curettage: accelerated recovery from severe preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the ability of immediate postpartum curettage to accelerate maternal recovery from severe preeclampsia.

METHODS

Thirty-two parturients with severe preeclampsia were randomly assigned to either undergo ultrasound-directed curettage following delivery or to have no curettage.

RESULTS

Subjects who underwent immediate postpartum curettage had a significantly decreased mean arterial pressure at each 2-hour point for the first 24 hours compared with those who were not curetted (P < .0002). The mean urine output after uterine curettage was significantly greater during each 4-hour interval of the first 24 hours postpartum compared with controls (P < .0002). The platelet count increased in the curettage group from 12 to 24 hours following curettage, whereas controls exhibited a decrease in the platelet count from 12 to 24 hours (P < .0003).

CONCLUSION

Immediate puerperal uterine curettage of the parturient with severe preeclampsia appears to accelerate disease recovery with no apparent adverse sequelae.