Evaluation of cases of eclampsia in the University College Hospital, Ibadan over a 10 year period.

A study of cases of eclampsia treated at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, over a 10 year period (1987-1996) was carried out to evaluate the clinical presentation and management outcome during the period of study. There were 140 cases of patients with eclampsia who received treatment out of a total number of 10,584 deliveries during the same period. The incidence of eclampsia was higher among the primigravidae, young women who are less than 25 of age, and unbooked patients. About 85% of the patient were pre-delivery eclampsia, out of which about 60% had emergency caesarean sections. Fifteen percent (15%) of them had repeated convulsion while on anticonvulsant, and more than half of the eclamptics had control of blood pressure within 48 hours of delivery. Eclampsia accounted for 9% of total maternal deaths and perinatal deaths associated with eclampsia was 10%. The common causes of maternal death were acute renal failure, sepsis, and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy (DIC). Eclampsia remains an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in this environment.