Type of Delivery and Length of Stay in Hypertension Patients

INTRODUCTION: The length of stay (LOS) for pregnant mothers with vaginal delivery is different from that of caesarean delivery. Hypertension during pregnancy may be an indication to conduct caesarean delivery that affects length of stay in hospitals.

MATERIAL & METHODS: The total collected samples were 108 pregnant mothers and they were divided into 2 groups, 54 pregnant mothers with normal blood pressure and 54 pregnant mothers with hypertension. Maternal characteristics, routine hematology, blood pressure (BP) status, type of delivery and length of stay were analyzed.

RESULTS: Type of delivery, maternal age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, length of stay, and routine hematologic profile except leukocytes showed statistically significant correlations with hypertension for the total 108 pregnant mothers. Pregnant mothers with caesarean delivery due to pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) was threefold than those of normal blood pressure (95% confidence interval, 1.343-6.563). Statistical analyses indicated significant correlations between type of delivery and length of stay for pregnant mothers with hypertension after delivery (p-value = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: On average, pregnant mothers who had hypertension with caesarean delivery spent at least 49-72 hours in the hospital after delivery. Indeed, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that pregnant mothers with vaginal delivery should stay in a hospital for 1 or 2 days and those with caesarean section were suggested to stay 3 or 4 days after delivery. However, some pregnant mothers in this study spent shorter time to stay at the hospital after delivery. Therefore, it is suggested for pregnant mothers to stay at a hospital in a more sufficient period of time after delivery to give an adequate time for physicians to classify, to diagnose, or to treat complications after delivery.