Características clínico epidemiológicas y evolución de pacientes con preeclampsia. Hospital General Dr. Liborio Panchana Sotomayor 2020 - 2025.

Abstract

Preeclampsia constitutes a multisystemic syndrome derived from abnormal placentation, being a leading cause of global maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. In Ecuador, it represents the second leading cause of direct maternal death, with significant gaps in predictive screening and local epidemiological characterization. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical-epidemiological characteristics and in-hospital progression of patients with preeclampsia treated at the Hospital General Dr. Liborio Panchana Sotomayor (Santa Elena) during 2020-2025, using an observational, descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study, including 319 clinical records of patients diagnosed with preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP syndrome. A predominance of severe preeclampsia (70-83% annually) was observed, with a mean maternal age of 27 years. Age extremes were clinically relevant: adolescents (12.9-23.5%) and women ≥35 years (11.9-41.2%). Prematurity affected 35-41% of pregnancies, while low birth weight reached high proportions (23.5-47.5%) with an upward trend toward 2025. Cases of eclampsia (up to 13.1%), HELLP syndrome (up to 10.6%), and fetal deaths (2.8% cumulative) were documented. Prenatal care was insufficient in a significant proportion of patients. Thus, it was concluded that preeclampsia in this population is characterized by a high frequency of severe forms, a significant burden of prematurity and low birth weight, and persistence of serious complications. The need to strengthen preventive strategies, early screening, and prenatal follow-up to reduce maternal-perinatal morbidity and mortality is evident.