[Value of treatment with dihydroergotamine for hypotension in pregnancy]

Hypotension during pregnancy must be taken seriously. This complication is definitely serious enough to merit treatment. However, examinations have been lacking so far proving the advantages or possible risks of antihypotensive therapy. A short while ago the authors reported on favourable results obtained with dihydroergotamin (DHE) in hypotensive patients. It was the aim of the present study to test this finding, which had been obtained with a relatively small group of patients, by employing a large group. The evaluation was based on the statistical data from 400 hypotensive pregnant women who had delivered during the time between 1.1. 1982 and 31.8. 1983 in the obstetrical department of the Berlin-Neukölln Hospital Pregnant women were considered to be hypotensive if they had appeared for examination at least three times up to the 28th week of pregnancy with a maximum systolic blood pressure of less than or equal to 110 mmHg and diastolic pressure of less than or equal to 60 mm Hg. In relation to the total number of births of 4763, the proportion of hypotensives was 8.4%. 204 (4.3%) hypotensive women were subjected to DHE treatment; 156 of these took regularly 2 X 2.5 mg DETMS retard, whereas compliance was irregular with the remaining 50 patients. 196 (4.1%) refused treatment. The fact that the percentage of women willing to undergo treatment was relatively low (39%) is attributed partly to pregnant women being afraid of taking drugs, and partly to the attitude adopted by gynaecologists who are often hardly convinced that hypotension is a grave sign.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)