Avaliação das medidas de pressão arterial em gestantes com doença hipertensiva gestacional

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the behaviour of blood pressure at the first 8 hours of emergency care in pregnant women who arrive with hypertension in an obstetric unit. Methods: Blood pressure was measured at an Obstetric Unit in a cohort of 415 pregnant women with high blood pressure at the initial evaluation. Data of the first 8 hours of blood pressure readings were analyzed by Generalized Estimated Equations test. Results: At baseline the means(+SD) were 154.3±16.5 mmHg and 98.0±12.1 mmHg for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. There was a significant reduction in blood pressure during follow-up (p<0.001). Blood pressure means (SD) were: 1st hour: 146.6+19.1 and 89.7+15.6, 2nd: 139.0+17.8 and 83.2+14.2, 3rd: 137.2+15.6 and 78.7+12.2, 4th: 136.9+14.7 and 78.8+14.5, 5th: 135.9+16.6 and 78.2+14.1, 6th: 135.6+16.3 and 77.9+13.5, 7th: 133.3+14.2 and 75.7+11.9, and 8th hour 133,8+15.6 and 76.9+12.9 mmHg for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. Blood pressure stabilized after the third hour. Conclusion: The study provides evidence that an interval of at least three hours between measurements is adequate to establish the diagnosis of gestational hypertension in pregnant women presenting with high blood pressure at an obstetric unit.