Have you heard of eclampsia?
Eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy.
Its a severe form of preclampsia characterized by onset of grandmal seizures and or unexplained coma, protenuria,high blood pressure. It usually occurs after 20 weeks of gestation.
Briefly before I proceed let's look at pre-eclampsia. It is a disorder of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, protenuria and organ or multi organ failure.
Here are some symptoms that may be felt before onset of convulsions.
- Long lasting (persistent) head ache
- Blurred vision
- Protenuria
- Abdominal pains (ethier at the epigastric region of the abdomen or right upper quadrant)
- Altered mental status
Others include;
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cortical blindness
- Shortness of breath
- Diminished urine out put
- Primid gravida ( first pregnancy)
- Women with high blood pressure before pregnancy
- Pre- existing vascular diseases like diabetes
- Large placenta (seen in multiple gestation I.e more than one fetus)
Treatment
This is strictly done in a health facility specially secondary or tertiary health facility. There are four goals of treatment:
1. To prevent occurrence of convulsions or stop convulsions
2. To control elevated blood pressure
3. To deliver fetus as promptly as possible.
4. To monitor or prevent organ or multi organ failure
Complications
- Intrauterine growth restrictions
- Small for gestational age
- Low birth weight
- Hemorrhage
- Placental abruptio
- Pulmonary oedema
- Coma
- Cerebral oedema
Prevention
- Proper history taking for base line data during booking
- Referral of at risk cases for proper care
- Regular check of blood pressure in pregnancy
- Prompt report to the hospital if any symptom is felt
- Blood pressure management for those with high blood pressure
- Early delivery in some cases
- Bed rest.
- Male involvement in care
I will add that preconception care should be taken seriously.
Ensure you're ready for pregnancy before you get pregnant.
Male partners should be actively involved in care,provide essential need and support.
Do the things you can do and rest when you feel exhausted.
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Stay healthy !!!!
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