Updates on The Diagnosis and Management of Preeclampsia

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a significant multifactorial, multi-organ disease affecting 5% to 8% of all pregnancies in the United States, where it is the third leading cause of maternal mortality. The risk factors of preeclampsia include First pregnancy, new paternity, age, race, obesity, multiple pregnancies, the interval between pregnancies, and history of certain conditions. Despite improvements in the diagnosis and management of preeclampsia, severe complications can occur in both the mother and foetus, and there is no practical method of prevention. Early detection and identification of pregnant women most at risk of developing the disease have proven challenging because the diagnosis of preeclampsia is complex, particularly on a background of medical comorbidities. Hypertension, proteinuria, and biochemical and haematological abnormalities are tertiary, downstream features of established disease, which may be absent in women presenting eclampsia.  However, recent efforts combining biochemical and biophysical markers are promising. The criteria for the diagnosis of preeclampsia are evolving, and proteinuria is no longer a prerequisite to making a diagnosis. Angiogenic biomarker testing accelerates diagnosis as well as minimizes adverse maternal outcomes.