Postpartum Readmission
Postpartum Readmission
This is a retrospective chart review of women who labored and delivered in a single health
 care center. From that large group the investigators will evaluate women who were re-admitted
 in the post partum period for a hypertensive disorder. The study will also look at
 "Controls," a group of women with similar risk factors but did not require readmission.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific multisystem disorder of unknown etiology. The disorder
 affects approximately 10 percent of pregnancies worldwide constituting one of the greatest
 causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. (1) Preeclampsia is
 defined by the new onset of elevated blood pressure after 20 weeks of gestation. It is
 considered severe if blood pressure is increased substantially or symptoms of end-organ
 damage (including fetal growth restriction) occur. There is no single reliable,
 cost-effective screening test for preeclampsia, and there are no well-established measures
 for primary prevention. Management before the onset of labor includes close monitoring of
 maternal and fetal status. Management during delivery includes seizure prophylaxis with
 magnesium sulfate and, if necessary, medical management of hypertension. Delivery remains the
 ultimate treatment.

 Preeclampsia leads to eclampsia. Symptoms of preeclampsia include: weight gain, headaches,
 right upper quadrant pain, swelling of hands and feet, and vision problems Symptoms of
 eclampsia include: muscle aches and pains, seizures, severe agitation, unconsciousness

 Current obstetric treatment in the United States has resulted in a shift of eclampsia toward
 the postpartum period, with most cases being seen as late post partum. During the post partum
 period a patient's blood pressure peaks around 3-6 days post delivery, however most patients
 are discharged home by 48 hours. This results in re-admission to the hospital for some women.
 The investigator's goal is to review and evaluate women who have been readmitted for a
 preeclampsia or eclampsia episode during the post partum period to assess if there are
 preceding signs or symptoms leading to her re admission.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Women who labored and delivered at a single hospital Readmitted (within 6 weeks post
 partum (PP) or less)to the hospital for hypertension disorder, with or without
 hypertension (HTN in pregnancy), gestational hypertension (gHTN), pre eclampsia
 (PreE), severe pre eclampsia (sPreE), HELLP ("HELLP" is an abbreviation of the three
 main features of the syndrome: Hemolysis. Elevated Liver enzymes. Low Platelet
 count.).

 Controls Group with PreE, not readmitted or No PreE

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Hospital readmission for other complications.