Abstract

JIMENEZ FIZ, Yamila; ROURA CARRASCO, Juan O; CAVEDA ESTELA, Olga G  and  AREVALO TAN, Carlos Enrique. HELLP syndrome in a multipurpose intensive care unit. AMC [online]. 2014, vol.18, n.5, pp. 475-485. ISSN 1025-0255.

Background: HELLP syndrome is a non-rare, infrequent disease, common in obstetric patients with hypertensive vascular disorder of pregnancy; it is the critical expression of this pathological process and its appearance in the multipurpose intensive care unit constitute a challenge because of its possible fatal evolution. Objective: to characterize the clinical behaviour of the HELLP syndrome in the multipurpose intensive care unit. Method: a retrospective study of the pregnant women hospitalized in the multipurpose intensive care unit of the Manuel Ascunce Domenech Teaching Hospital, in a period of two years, with the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome, was conducted. Qualitative and quantitative variables were taken into consideration; the frequency distribution of each variable was obtained and the gotten results were emptied out in a form designed for this purpose; the results were provided in a table of percentage values. Results: the predominant age group was 30 years old and older, mainly with the obstetric condition of being expectant mothers. Elderly and multigravid pregnant women predominated. The preeclampsia-eclampsia syndrome was the most frequent clinical form as complication. Pregnant women presented more complications than puerperas. The most important symptom was epigastric pain. Thrombopenia, from slight to moderate, and the slight elevation of aminotransferases, were the most significant aspects. Lethality in the group was of 16, 67 %. Conclusions: elderly and multigravid pregnant woman was the most frequent morbid condition for the appearance of HELLP syndrome. The preeclampsia-eclampsia syndrome was the most frequent clinical presentation and the main symptom was epigastralgia.

Keywords : HELLP SÍNDROME; THROMBOCYTOPENIA; ECLAMPSIA; ADULT; EPIDEMIOLOGY, DESCRIPTIVE.

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