BASE DEFICIT AND OXYGEN-TRANSPORT IN SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of anaerobic metabolism, as re flected by the calculated base deficit, with oxygen transport and left ventricular function in women with severe preeclampsia. Methods: fort y women with singleton pregnancies and severe preeclampsia who met pre scribed criteria for invasive hemodynamic monitoring had arterial bloo d gas and hemodynamic values obtained immediately after placement of a pulmonary artery catheter. Oxygen transport indices were stratified a ccording to the admission base deficit. Results: Linear regression ana lysis demonstrated a strong negative correlation between the calculate d base deficit and the oxygen delivery index (r = -0.64), cardiac inde x (r = -0.62), and left ventricular stroke work index (r = -0.58). A b aseline maternal base deficit exceeding -8.0 mEq/L consistently predic ted fetal acidosis, fetal death, and maternal end-organ ischemic injur y. Conclusion: The calculated base deficit reliably reflects maternal oxygen transport dynamics and identifies patients at risk for end-orga n injury. Ventricular contractility and oxygen delivery decline with m ounting oxygen debt.