Abstract:
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) are a leading obstetric cause for maternal
morbidity and mortality nationally as well as globally. The Saving Mothers is a report published
every three years by the National Committee for Confidential Enquiry, which reports the
trends in maternal deaths in South Africa. The last three Saving Mothers reports identified
many gaps in the management of HDP and interventions to address these gaps were
recommended. The recently published national guidelines on the management of HDP have
highlighted approaches for the diagnosis, assessment and management of HDP. This article
synthesises the national guidelines and provides approaches for the primary care physician
working at the primary healthcare or the district hospital level. The algorithms provide easy
clinical pathways once the correct assessment has been made.
