Problems encountered in the treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension. A point of view.

This point of view encountered in the treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension enumerates the most common problems encountered when treating the disease. These problems include: terminology, etiology and pathogenesis, known facts, failure to identify the patient, loss of life for mother and baby, complications, recognition of early disease, and treatment not uniform or individualized. The severe forms of the disease are preventable and should never occur, but once present they should yield a zero maternal mortality rate and a fetal salvage of greater than 90%. Proper therapy of severe disease is primarily the use of pharmacologic doses of magnesium sulfate given intravenously and the prevention of a cerebral vascular accident in the mother. Induction of labor and removal of the products of conception will cure the disease.