[Evidence synthesis and recommendations: clinical practice guidelines on drug treatment for hypertension in pregnancySíntese de evidências e recomendações: diretrizes de prática clínica para o tratamento farmacológico da hipertensão arterial na gravidez].

INTRODUCTION

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are a major cause of severe morbidity, long-term disability, and death. Appropriate pharmacological treatment is essential in the management of these disorders.

OBJECTIVES

Synthesize the recommendations developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve the quality of care and health outcomes of adults with high blood pressure, and address aspects of how to implement these recommendations.

METHODS

A synthesis was conducted of WHO recommendations: drug treatment for severe hypertension in pregnancy and WHO recommendations: drug treatment for non-severe hypertension in pregnancy. The WHO recommendations follow the GRADE methodology (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) for the preparation of guidelines, as described in the WHO Handbook for Guideline Development. In addition, a systematic search for studies carried out in the Region of the Americas was conducted in PubMed, Lilacs, Health Systems Evidence, Epistemonikos, and gray literature to identify barriers, facilitators, and implementation strategies.

RESULTS

Four recommendations were formulated for women with hypertensive disorders. Implementation barriers and facilitators were identified, and indicators were created to assess adherence and outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The formulated recommendations provide guidance on how to approach drug treatment of hypertension in pregnancy, with considerations for implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean.