Admission uric acid levels and length of expectant management in preterm preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective: Uric acid is known to be elevated in preeclampsia. We sought to determine if uric acid levels on admission correlate with the length of expectant management in preterm patients with preeclampsia.Study Design: A retrospective chart review was conducted on singleton preeclamptic pregnancies delivered between 24 0/7 and 37 0/7 weeks' gestation at Tufts Medical Center between January 2005 and December 2007. Patients with a multiple gestation and those transferred or discharged before delivery were excluded. Data regarding signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, laboratory values, pregnancy complications and outcome were abstracted from the medical records. Correlation between admission uric acid level and days of expectant management was assessed. The relative risk (RR) was used to estimate the effect of uric acid levels on expectant management length >7 days. Mantel-Haenszel w 2 values were used to construct 95% confidence intervals (CIs) around the RR.Result: Four hundred seventy-one charts were reviewed. Of these, 190 met inclusion criteria. In all, 55 patients (28.9%) were managed expectantly for >1 week. Admission uric acid level correlated with days of expectant management (P<0.0001). Uric acid levels at admission were categorized as p4.0 mg dl -1 (low uric acid level), 4.1 to 6.0 mg dl -1 (medium) and X6.1 mg dl -1 (high). Relative to women with high uric acid levels at admission, we observed a sevenfold higher rate of extending expectant management for >1 week among women with low uric acid level (7.0; 95% CI: 3.34 to 14.68). Women with medium uric acid levels at admission also had a higher likelihood of prolonging pregnancy relative to women with high uric acid levels (RR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.32 to 5.96) (P-value for trend <0.0001).Conclusion: Admission uric acid levels correlate with the length of expectant management in preterm patients with preeclampsia. Pregnancy prolongation for >1 week is significantly more likely in patients with low and medium uric acid levels at the time of admission. Uric acid levels may be helpful in assessing disease severity and counseling preeclamptic patients regarding likelihood of extended expectant management.

The value of serum uric acid in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

“…However, SUA may be useful in predicting the length of the latency period from diagnosis to delivery. The author of another article [23] showed that admission uric acid levels correlate with the length of expectant management in preterm patients with preeclampsia. Pregnancy prolongation for > 1 week is significantly more likely in patients with low and medium uric acid levels at the time of admission.…”

Placental Growth Factor for the Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Suspected Preeclampsia or Intrauterine Growth Restriction

“…Moreover, our capacity to predict severe maternal and perinatal outcomes remains poor [11], [12], [13]Several means of pre-clinical diagnosis and prognostic evaluation have been studied, such as Doppler ultrasound examination of umbilical or uterine arteries and biochemical markers (urinary protein, uric acid), with various degrees of predictive accuracy [14], [15], [16], [17]. This suggests that a pre-clinical diagnostic test able to predict maternal and fetal risk could be useful [18], [19]. Finally, patients who are evaluated for suspicion of preeclampsia undergo many exams, usually during in-hospital care, to assess or rule out the diagnosis of preeclampsia.…”

The Pulmonary Edema Preeclampsia Evaluation (PEPE) Study

“…Our observation of a higher risk of pulmonary edema with increasing uric acid concentration may be that an elevated level of uric acid reflects preeclampsia severity, 14 and is negatively correlated with the duration of expectant management in women with preterm preeclampsia. 15 Only some of our cases, and none of our control subjects, underwent echocardiography; therefore, we could not properly contrast cardiac performance between the two groups. We also did not have pre-pregnancy or post-pregnancy measures of left ventricular function.…”