Current trends in delivery of eclampsia patients

This study tried to identify if there was any current trend in delivering eclampsia patients in terms of choice of mode and time of delivery and reasons for such choice and whether they influenced outcomes. Initial assessment findings, choice of mode of delivery, delivery outcomes were analysed in 608 consecutive cases of antepartum and intrapartum eclampsia, caesarean section rate was very high (71.05%). Majority of caesarean sections were done to promptly deliver those patients who were in early labour or not in labour, thus, unlikely to deliver vaginally within about 6 hours. Only those in advanced labour and likely to deliver vaginally within a short period were allowed vaginal delivery indicating considerable selection. Both maternal mortality rate and perinatal mortality rate were much lower with early caesarean section (0.95% and 3.80% respectively) than with vaginal delivery. Both also steadily increased with increasing admission--delivery interval, apparently independent of mode of delivery indicating that improved foetomaternal outcomes associated with early caesarean section actually resulted from prompt delivery. Thus there was a definite trend of liberal use of caesarean section, whenever needed, to ensure prompt delivery of eclamptic patients and this, in turn, improved outcomes.