EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ECLAMPSIA IN COLOMBIA

Objective: To measure the incidence of eclampsia, its maternal and per inatal outcomes and patterns of presentation of this disease in our en vironment. Method: Retrospective descriptive study of 164 cases of ecl ampsia managed at the Hospital Universitario del Valle, Call, Colombia from September 1993 to August 1995. Information was collected from re views of hospital case-notes. Results: The incidence of eclampsia was 8.1/1000 deliveries. Maternal mortality was 6.1%. Fifty-seven percent of seizures occurred antepartum, 22% during labor, and 21% after deliv ery. Sixty-nine cases (42%) presented preterm. Ninety-eight women (60% ) were nulliparous. Approximately one quarter of the women did not hav e hypertension or significant proteinuria at the time of seizures. Twe nty percent of all women had at least one major complication. Perinata l mortality was 12.8%. Antepartum and postpartum cases were more sever e than intrapartum cases. Conclusion: Eclampsia occurs in one in 124 d eliveries in Call, Colombia and is associated with high maternal and p erinatal morbidity and mortality. (C) 1998 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.