Pulmonary functions in pre-eclamptic women

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate certain pulmonary function tests of the pre-eclamptic women in the early postpartum period. Study design: Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in I s (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were measured in 13 pre-eclamptic and 15 control subjects undergoing cesarean section (C/S); and I I pre-eclamptic and 15 control subjects undergoing vaginal delivery (VD) on the postpartum third day. Results: Pre-eclamptic women had significantly lower FVC, FEV1 and PEF measurements than the control women (P < 0.05). When the subjects were grouped according to the mode of delivery, FVC and FEV1 values were observed to be significantly different between the pre-eclamptic and control groups undergoing C/S (P < 0.05). None of these parameters were significantly different between the pre-eclamptic and control groups who had delivered vaginally (P > 0.05). Conclusion: These data indicate that certain pulmonary functions might be impaired in the early postpartum period in pre-eclamptic women undergoing C/S. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.