Profile of Arterial Hypertension in Pregnant Women in a Conakry University Hospital

Introduction: The aim was to determine the prevalence of types of hypertension during pregnancy and to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with hypertension during pregnancy in Conakry. Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional descriptive study lasting 6 months, from July 1 to December 31, 2022. carried out in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the Ignace Deen University Hospital. We included all women with systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg taken in the sitting or left lateral decubitus position on two (2) occasions, using a validated measuring device regardless of the term of pregnancy or in the immediate postpartum period. Hypertension and types of hypertension in pregnancy have been defined according to the expert consensus of the Société Française d’Hypertension Artérielle (SFHTA) 2015. Results: During the study period, out of 4,653 pregnant patients seen in consultation, we recorded 310 cases of hypertension during pregnancy, representing a hospital prevalence of 7% with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 6.27% to 7.73%. We noted 93% (288) married women, 38% (118 women) not in school, 23% housewives with an average age of 26. By type of hypertension, preeclampsia (209 cases) came first, followed by chronic hypertension (45 cases), superadded pre-eclampsia (32 cases) and gestational hypertension (24 cases), with mean arterial pressures of 168 mmHg systolic and 110 mmHg diastolic. Urine dipstick proteinuria was three crosses in 180 patients. Treatment of hypertension was based mainly on nifedipine (78%). At the end of our survey, 96% of women gave birth, 81% gave birth by Caesarean section, and 15% gave birth by natural route. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of early detection and prompt, appropriate management of gestational hypertension, as well as the crucial role of high-quality prenatal follow-up in improving maternal and fetal prognosis.