The ups and downs of peripartum hypertensive disorders

Abstract

Hypertensive disorders during the peripartum period are common and associated with significant materno-fetal morbidity and mortality. Although the prevalence of peripartum hypertensive disorders has shown a decline in the last triennium, the confidential enquiries into maternal deaths have shown that hypertensive disorders remain the second most common cause of maternal mortality in South Africa.1,2 This article provides an update on the assessment and management of peripartum hypertensive disorders relevant to the anaesthetist.