Problems in Pregnancy Flashcards
What is pre-existing hypertension?
Where the woman has had hypertension before her pregnancy.
This is likely if hypertension in early pregnacy
Can also be retrospective diagnosis if BP values have not returned to normal within 3 months of giving birth
What is pregnancy induced hypertension?
High blood pressure in pregnancy.
Seen in the 2nd half of pregnancy and usually resilves within 6 weeks of giving birth
What can be present in pre-eclampsia?
- Hypertension
- Proteinuria (=/+ 0.3g/L)
- Oedema
What is pre-eclampsia?
A pregnancy specific, multi-system disorder with unpredictable, variable and widespread manifestations.
Where is the cut off for early and late pre-eclampsia?
34 weeks
What are the 2 stages of pre-eclampsia?
-
Stage 1= abnormal placental perfusion
- placental ischaemia
-
Stage 2= maternal syndrome
- an anti-angiogenic state associated with endothelial dysfunction
Pre-eclampsia is a multi-system disorder. What systems can be involved?
- CNS
- Renal
- Hepatic
- Haematological
- Pulmonary
- Cardiovascular
- Placental
What is HELLP syndrome?
A rare life-threatening condition seen in pregnancy that is associated with pre-eclampsia. Causes RBCs to break down as well as liver problems
Haemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, Low Platelets
High morbidity/mortality
What is eclampsia?
A tonic-clonic seizure occuring with the features of pre-eclampsia
What is the management of severe PET/Eclampsia?
Control BP
Stop/prevent seizures
Fluid balance
Delivery
What is given in seizure treatment/prophylaxis?
Magnesium Sulphate
- Loading= 4g IV over 5 minutes
- Maintenence= IV infusion 1g per hour
- Further seizures= 2g
If persistant seizures consider diazepam 10mg IV
What are some anti-hypertensives that can be used in the treatment of pre-eclampsia?
IV labetolol
IV hydralazine
What is the commonest chronic medical disorder to complicate pregnancies?
Asthma
What test is carried out if DVT is suspected in pregnancy?
Compression duplex ultrasound
- If normal but clinical suspicion is high then repeat in 1 week to exclude extending calf vein thrombosis
- If iliac vein thrombosis suspected (whole leg swollen + back pain) the consider MRI venography
What alternative should be used in pregnancy instead of warfarin?
LMWH- convert by 6 weeks
Why shouldn’t warfarin be used in pregnancy?
Crosses placenta and is teratogenic
- Midface hypoplasia
- Stippled chondral calcification
- Short proximal limbs
- Short phalanges
- Scoliosis
What can be given for post-natal anticoagulation?
Heparin or Warfarin- neither are contraindicated in breastfeeding
Commence warfarin 5th postnatal day
What is APS?
Anti-phospholipid syndrome
An aqquired thrombophillia with variable presentation and severity
Can result in pregnancy complication
What antibodies are seen in APS?
Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL)- autoantibodies that react with phospholipid component of the cell membrane
Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL)
Lupus anticoagulant (LA)
True or False?
Anti-epileptic medication is contraindicated in pregnancy?
False
AEDs containing Valproate are associated with a higher risk but others are safe
What is a normal sympheseal-fundal height?
After around 24 weeks, the fundal hight for a normally growing baby should match the the number of weeks pregnancy +/- 2cm
e.g. for a 27 week pregnant, expect the fundal hight to be around 27cm
What are some possible reasons why a SFH might be large for dates?
- Wrong dates
- Fetal macrosomia
- Polyhydraminios
- Diabetes
- Multiple pregnancy
What is fetal macrosomia?
‘big baby’
Signs are large fundal hight and polyhydramonios
What is polyhydramnios?
Excess amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid index > 25cm