Pre-eclampsia Flashcards
What is the definition of pre-eclampsia?
It is the onset of high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of pregnancy
What is the triad of pre-eclampsia?
- Hypertension
- Proteinuria
- Oedema
What are the two types of pre-eclampsia?
- True/primary
2. Superimposed pre-eclampsia
What are the features of true pre-eclampsia?
- No known cause
- No previous hypertension
- Usually goes back to normal 6 weeks post-partum
- Mainly primigravida
- More common in young (teenage) or above >35 years
What are the features of superimposed pre-eclampsia?
- Can be primigravida or multi-gravis a
2. Usually existing hypertension or even pyelonephritis
What are the maternal complications of pre-eclampsia?
- Renal/cardiac failure
- Stroke
- Liver failure
- Cardiac failure
- Abruptio placentae
- Eclamptic fits
What are the fetal complications of pre-eclampsia?
- Fetal distress
- Fetal death
- Intra-uterine growth restriction
- Placental insufficiency
What are the symptoms of pre-eclampsia?
- Visual disturbance
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Epigastric pain
- Persistent headache
What is the definition of proteinuria in pregnancy?
Anything above 300 mg per 24 hours
How do we diagnose high blood pressure?
With blood pressures of more than 140/90mmHg at least two different instances 6 hours apart
-also if there’s a 25mmHg(systolic) and 15mmHg(diastolic) difference
What is chronic hypertension?
Hypertension that has started before 20 weeks
- essential hypertension
- secondary hypertension (with underlying condition)
What is gestational hypertension?
Hypertension that starts after 20 weeks and goes back to normal after 3 months post-partum
What is pre-eclampsia?
Hypertension that occurs after 20 weeks gestational age and returns to normal after 3 months
What does pre-eclampsia present with?
- Proteinuria >300mg/day or dipstick persistently +2
- renal insufficiency, creatinine >100
- Liver disease ALT>40
- Neurological problems, convulsions, hyperreflexia with clonus, severe headache
- Haematological disturbances
- Fetal growth restriction
What is superimposed pre-eclampsia?
New development of the other features of pre-eclampsia with chronic hypertension
What is defined as proteinuria in pregnancy?
> 300 mg in 24 hours
How does oedema present in a pre-eclampitic patient?
- The patient gains weight-about 0,5kg per week
- Sacral oedema
- Trunk oedema
- Ankle oedema
- Peri-orbital oedema/puffiness