Acute pulmonary oedema as a complication of hypertension during pregnancy

Objective. To determine rates of and potential causative factors for acute pulmonary oedema (APO) in hypertensive women. Methods. Statistical analysis, including logistic regression, was applied to the individual patient data (IPD) of all hypertensive women who delivered in 2005 at two comparable units. Results. Of 880 cases analysed, there were no women with APO in unit one and 19 women in unit two. The women with APO received larger quantities of intravenous fluids, delivered at earlier gestations, via Caesarean section, following failed induction of labour and had a longer hospital stay. Conclusion. The development of APO in women with hypertension during pregnancy is associated with high levels of intravenous fluid administration.