Blood pressure, edema and proteinuria in pregnancy. 8. Evaluation of criteria.

We have reviewed some of the potential sources of errors in our study data with regard to the criteria used clinically to diagnose toxemia. The constraints imposed are rather clear. Despite these limitations (or perhaps because of them), we are impressed that the trends noted in the foregoing studies reported in this workshop relating to gestational progression and perinatal outcome have been encountered. Because such relationships have been uncovered using relatively coarse study parameters, we are tempted to infer that they are likely to be correct. If indeed such trends were spurious or weak relationships, the indelicate clinical signs at our disposal (in terms of their reliability and reproducibility) should not have been expected to demonstrate them so cogently. At the same time it should be made clear that more subtle correlations may exist, other than those herein shown, which perforce cannot be demonstrated or proved because of the restrictive unreliability of the clinical observations.