Emergency department visits for postpartum hypertension

Abstract

Objective: To describe the characteristics of women diagnosed with postpartum hypertension in an emergency department (ED) to better inform postpartum care. Methods: Women with an ED diagnosis of hypertension were compared to women with all other ED diagnoses. Results: Among 252 postpartum women who presented for ED care, 52 were given a diagnosis of hypertension. Women with hypertension had some recognizable risk factors and presented on average within one week of delivery. Readmission rate was high, and many women seemed aware of their hypertension. Conclusion: Postpartum surveillance may not prevent readmission for hypertension; future focus should be in prevention interventions.

Keywords

• postpartum
• hypertension
• readmission
• emergency department