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.