The new german guidelines for the treatment of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy have some important differentiations. The aim of the new guidelines is to avoid the early premature birth and to reduce the fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. For the first time there ist the possibility and the recommendation for the prolongation of pregnancy. This means that the treatment of hypertensive disorders should start not before a blood pressure of >/=170/110 mmHg; thus the nutrition of the fetus will not be worsened and the worse perfusion of the placenta will be avoided. Further more the selection of antihypertensive treatment has changed: the first choice is not longer Dihydralazin (Nepresol ((R))) but Nifedipin (Adalat ((R))). In the treatment of HELLP-Syndrom there ist only one difference to the treatment of preeclampsia: the use of glucocorticosteroids. In the treatment of both hypertensive disorders in pregnancy there is the aim to finish the fetal lungmatureinduction before the delivery is planned or necessary. A new point of view in the german guidelines is the possibility of prediction and prevention of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: patients who had already a hypertensive disorder in the pregnancy before or patients who have a pathologic flow in the Art. uterinae have a significant higher risk for a preeclampsia in this pregnancy. They should receive a preventive therapy with ASS. Because of these changes in the german guidelines the prolongation of pregnancy and the reduced rate of premature birth becomes more importance and helps to avoid a high rate of neonatal mortality and morbidity.
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