Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, and HELLP Syndrome Hospitalizations Rates in the United States

Abstract

There is a lack of recent data demonstrating how racial/ethnic disparities in the occurrence of preeclampsia, eclampsia, and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome may translate into hospitalization rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the disparities in preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome hospitalizations rates across racial/ethnic patient populations in the United States (US). The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) datasets 2016-2018 were used for this analysis. Prevalence rates were calculated for each hypertensive disorder of pregnancy – preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and eclampsia, by race/ethnicity. Survey logistic regression model was utilized to find the association between race/ ethnicity and each phenotype of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. During the study period, there were 499.4, 27.0 and 12.1 per 10,000 hospitalizations with preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and eclampsia. The hospitalization rates and odds of a diagnosis of preeclampsia and eclampsia were higher in Non-Hispanic (NH)-Black pregnant population when compared with NH-White pregnant population. The hospitalization rate and odds of having a diagnosis of HELLP syndrome were highest in NH-Whites as compared to other racial/ethnic groups.