Timeliness of care for eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in Benin, Ecuador, and Jamaica

ObjectiveCases meeting diagnostic criteria for severe pre-eclampsia or eclampsia were reviewed in three countries to determine timeliness and effectiveness of care.MethodCases were retrospectively selected from 11 emergency obstetric care facilities and medical records reviewed by trained obstetricians.ResultOf 91 cases (Benin, 28; Ecuador, 25; Jamaica, 38), 74% were correctly treated with anticonvulsant and 77% with antihypertensive therapy. The median interval to treat eclampsia (anticonvulsant, 28 min; antihypertensive, 77 min) was shorter than for severe pre-eclampsia (anticonvulsant, 45 min; antihypertensive, 85 min). Two in three cases (65%) received anticonvulsant but only 41% received antihypertensive therapy within 60 min of diagnosis. While 74% of eclamptics had been delivered within 12 h, only 39% of severe pre-eclamptics were delivered within 24 h.ConclusionTimeliness can be studied in developing countries. Its objective measurement is a first step towards improving this component of care.