Are high uric acid levels in patients with early pre-eclampsia an indication for delivery?

OBJECTIVE

To compare the perinatal mortality rates of pre-eclamptic patients with high, normal and low uric acid levels.

DESIGN

Prospective analytic study.

SETTING

Tertiary hospital to which many patients with severe pre-eclampsia are referred.

SUBJECTS: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients with severe pre-eclampsia.

INTERVENTION: Delivery for maternal or fetal reasons, not taking uric acid levels into account.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Perinatal mortality rate.

RESULTS

The mean uric acid level prior to delivery at a mean gestational age of 30.9 weeks was 0.4 mmol (SD 0.11). Twenty patients had uric acid levels of 0.28 mmol/l or lower and 25 patients values of 0.52 mmol/l or higher. The mean gestational age at admission and the admission-delivery interval for the high, normal and low uric acid groups were 29.2 weeks, 11.8 days; 29.2 weeks, 13.3 days and 27.1 weeks, 13 days respectively. For babies who weighed 1000 g or more at delivery, the perinatal mortality rates were 40, 11 and 50 respectively.

CONCLUSION

There is no evidence from this study to support the association between perinatal deaths and higher uric acid levels in patients with severe pre-eclampsia.