Committee Opinion No. 623

Acute-onset, severe systolic hypertension; severe diastolic hypertension; or both can occur in pregnant women or women in the postpartum period. Introducing standardized, evidence-based clinical guidelines for the management of patients with preeclampsia and eclampsia has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of adverse maternal outcomes. Individuals and institutions should have mechanisms in place to initiate the prompt administration of medication when a patient presents with a hypertensive emergency. Once the hypertensive emergency is treated, a complete and detailed evaluation of maternal and fetal well-being is needed with consideration of, among many issues, the need for subsequent pharmacotherapy and the appropriate timing of delivery.