Outpatient versus inpatient management for superimposed preeclampsia without severe features: a retrospective, multicenter study

Abstract

Purpose: To determine if women with preterm superimposed preeclampsia without severe features can be successfully and safely triaged to outpatient management.

Materials and methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study of singleton pregnancies with superimposed preeclampsia without severe features diagnosed before 37 weeks managed outpatient versus inpatient at Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, PA) and at University of Naples (Naples, Italy) from January 2008 to July 2015. The attending physician made the decision to manage outpatient or inpatient at his or her discretion. The primary outcome was composite maternal morbidity defined as development of at least one of the following: severe features, HELLP syndrome, placental abruption, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, intensive care unit admission, or maternal death. Logistic regression, presented as adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with the 95% of confidence interval (CI) was performed.

Results: A total of 365 women with superimposed preeclampsia without severe features before 37 weeks were analyzed. 198 (54.2%) were managed outpatient, and 167 (45.8%) were managed inpatient. Women managed as outpatients had a similar rate of maternal morbidity compared to those managed as inpatients (36.4% versus 41.3%, aOR 0.82, 95%CI 0.55–1.17). Fetuses from women in the outpatient group had a significantly lower risk of small for gestational age (17.7% versus 29.3%; aOR 0.53, 95%CI 0.30–0.84), and lower risk of admission to neonatal intensive care unit (40.4% versus 47.9%; aOR 0.72, 95%CI 0.39–0.95) compared to women managed as inpatients.

Conclusions: Low risk women with superimposed preeclampsia without severe features can be triaged to outpatient management without increased maternal morbidity.

Keywords:

• Hypertension
• management
• outpatient
• outcome
• preeclampsia

Acknowledgements

The study was approved by the human subjects committee at each participating center.

• University of Naples Federico II (#214-16.OB).

• Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia (14D.46).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have nothing to disclose. This study had no funding source.