Changing trends in the management of eclampsia from a teaching hospital

Eclampsia is a major source of both maternal and perinatal mortality. In the management of eclampsia, the role of magnesium sulphate as anticonvulsant and early delivery are well established. The present study is an analysis of maternal and perinatal outcomes after the introduction of magnesium sulphate and liberalisation of caesarean section over a period from August 2002 to September 2004. The observations were compared with statistics from the same hospital from 1995-1997. The incidenceof eclampsia has remained relatively constant but postpartum cases of eclampsia have increased. The case fatality rate of eclampsia has fallen from 11.3% to 5.3%. The perinatal mortality has also fallen from 54.8% to 24.3%. The caesarean section rate for eclampsia has increased from near 10% to 49.7%. Both maternal mortality and perinatal mortality are lowest in the caesaean section group. But the improved perinatal salvage in caesarean section babies may partially reflect the tendency to avoid caesarean section in gross prematurity. The ideal anaesthesia for eclampsia remains unknown but the results with use of general anaesthesia in all cases with precautions produced favourable results.