Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: problems of classification, differential diagnosis and management

Abstract

Objective. To study the features of hypertensive disorders formation in pregnancy depending on the period and clinical form on the example of the population of Sverdlovsk region. Materials and methods. The outcomes of 217 pregnant women with moderate and severe preeclampsia and gestational hypertension were analyzed (41, 74, and 102 cases, respectively). Results. The severe preeclampsia group had the highest rate of fetal growth restriction (14.6 %), low birth weight -2045 g (1640–2650), preterm delivery (63.4 %), and cesarean delivery (87.8 %). A detailed analysis of 28 cases of gestational hypertension lasting up to 34 weeks was performed. The analysis revealed significant challenges in the differential diagnosis of this pregnancy complication, not only in terms of clinical manifestations, but also in terms of timely diagnosis in general. Conclusions. The findings of this study spark a debate over the use of severity-based classification in clinical practice, which lessens the doctor's vigilance in milder forms that, however, result in equally serious complications. This raises the question of whether unified tactical approaches should be used in this pathology.