Epidemiology of eclampsia in Colombia.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the incidence of eclampsia, its maternal and perinatal outcomes and patterns of presentation of this disease in our environment.

METHOD

Retrospective descriptive study of 164 cases of eclampsia managed at the Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia from September 1993 to August 1995. Information was collected from reviews of hospital case-notes.

RESULTS

The incidence of eclampsia was 8.1/1000 deliveries. Maternal mortality was 6.1%. Fifty-seven percent of seizures occurred antepartum, 22% during labor, and 21% after delivery. Sixty-nine cases (42%) presented preterm. Ninety-eight women (60%) were nulliparous. Approximately one quarter of the women did not have hypertension or significant proteinuria at the time of seizures. Twenty percent of all women had at least one major complication. Perinatal mortality was 12.8%. Antepartum and postpartum cases were more severe than intrapartum cases.

CONCLUSION

Eclampsia occurs in one in 124 deliveries in Cali, Colombia and is associated with high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.