Published literature was retrieved through searches of
Medline, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library in March 2012
using appropriate controlled vocabulary (e.g., pregnancy,
hypertension, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy toxemias) and key
words (e.g., diagnosis, evaluation, classification, prediction,
prevention, prognosis, treatment, postpartum follow-up). Results
were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized control trials,
controlled clinical trials, and observational studies published in
French or English between January 2006 and February 2012.
Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated in the
guideline to September 2013. Grey (unpublished) literature was
identified through searching the websites of health technology
assessment and health technology-related agencies, clinical
practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national
and international medical specialty societies.
Values: The quality of evidence in the guideline summarized here
was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the
Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care (Table 1).