Postpartum Arterial Hypertension in African Setting, Ouagadougou

Abstract

Objective: The study’s objective was to determine the epidemiological, clinical, ancillary investigations, therapeutic patterns and the outcome of postpartum hypertension. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was carried out from January 2013 to December 2014 in the departments Obstetrics and Cardiology of two Teaching Hospitals in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. All cases of hypertension or eclampsia which newly occurred within 42 days postpartum without prior medical history of hypertension were included in the study. Results: One hundred and seventeen cases of postpartum hypertension were recorded representing 1.08% of deliveries. The mean age was 26.7 years, primiparous represented 39.1% of cases. The mean days between delivery and diagnosis were 5.6 ± 6.3 days. Hypertension was discovered as eclampsia in 61.95% of cases. It was severe hypertension in 42.39% of cases. The blood pressure was controlled in 90.22% within the first 48 hours. Conclusion: Postpartum period follow up with systematic blood pressure and urine protein measurements are necessary.