The Value of the Mean Arterial Blood Pressure in the Second Trimester (MAP-2 Value) as a Predictor of Pregnancy-induced Hypertension and Preeclampsia: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Records of 23,967 births (1984–1986), were examined at three central Florida hospitals to obtain records of 117 patients with a discharge diagnosis of pregnancy-induced hypertensive (PIH) disorder. These patients were matched on race and age with 129 patients who had uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries. The MAP-2 value of ≥ 90 mmHg (positive test result) had a sensitivity of only 0.33 and a negative predictive value of 0.61. The specificity of the test, however, was 0.91 with a positive predictive value of 0.77. These results suggest that the use of MAP-2 as an early screening test for PIH can produce an excessive number of false negatives. Attempts to improve the predictability of MAP-2 by controlling for race and age produced inconsistent results and did not appear to improve the usefulness of MAP-2 as a screening test.

Key Words:

• Mean Arterial Blood Pressure
• Pregnancy induced hypertension
• Preeclampsia