Pitfalls in the early detection of preeclampsia during prenatal care in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia is a silent complication that affects pregnant women and is the second leading cause of maternal death in Latin America. When this pathology evolves to its most advanced stage, it is called eclampsia, which is the most aggravated form of the disease, bringing high blood pressure, seizures and failures in target organs, such as the liver, kidneys and others. Objective: To identify risk factors related to the development of pre-eclampsia in order to identify pregnant women at risk for the disease in primary health care at an early stage. Method: This is a narrative review of the literature, which has as its central theme the mishaps faced by PHC in the early detection of preeclampsia, evidencing what has been published by the scientific production on the referred subject in the Virtual Library database in Health (BVS). Results: Eight literatures were found that presented justifications for the absence of resolution of pre-eclampsia in PHC. and, BMI above 30 during prenatal care, family history of preeclampsia, nulliparity, multiple pregnancy, preexisting diabetes mellitus, past history of preeclampsia. Conclusion: Primary care services need to be prepared to welcome and detect pregnant women who are affected by this pathology. A quality service with a competent and qualified multidisciplinary team is capable of providing this preventive action.