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Eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy, characterized by repeated episodes of seizures, followed by a coma, and which can be fatal if not treated immediately. This disease is more common in the last 3 months of pregnancy, however, it can manifest itself in any period after the 20th week of gestation, during childbirth or even after delivery.
Eclampsia is a serious manifestation of pre-eclampsia, which causes high blood pressure, greater than 140 x 90 mmHg, presence of proteins in the urine and swelling of the body due to fluid retention, but although these diseases are related, not all women with pre-eclampsia the disease progresses to eclampsia. Learn how to identify pre-eclampsia and when it can become severe.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of eclampsia include:
- Convulsions;
- Severe headache;
- Arterial hypertension;
- Rapid weight gain due to fluid retention;
- Swelling of hands and feet;
- Loss of protein through urine;
- Ringing in the ears;
- Severe belly pain;
- Vomiting;
- Vision changes.
Seizures in eclampsia are usually generalized and last for about 1 minute and may progress to coma.
Postpartum eclampsia
Eclampsia can also appear after the baby's delivery, especially in women who had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, so it is important to keep the evaluation even after delivery, so that any signs of worsening can be identified, and you should only be discharged from hospital. after normalization of pressure and improvement of symptoms. Find out what the main symptoms are and how postpartum eclampsia happens.
What are the causes and how to prevent
The causes of eclampsia are related to the implantation and development of blood vessels in the placenta, as the lack of blood supply to the placenta causes it to produce substances that, when they fall into the circulation, will alter blood pressure and cause kidney damage.
Risk factors for developing eclampsia can be:
- Pregnancy in women over 40 or under 18;
- Family history of eclampsia;
- Twin pregnancy;
- Women with hypertension;
- Obesity;
- Diabetes;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Pregnant women with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus.
The way to prevent eclampsia is to control blood pressure during pregnancy and do the necessary prenatal tests to detect any changes indicative of this disease as early as possible.
How the treatment is done
Eclampsia, unlike common high blood pressure, does not respond to diuretics or a low-salt diet, so treatment usually includes:
1. Administration of magnesium sulfate
The administration of magnesium sulfate in the vein is the most common treatment in cases of eclampsia, which works by controlling seizures and falling into a coma. Treatment should be done after hospitalization and magnesium sulfate should be administered by a healthcare professional directly into the vein.
2. Rest
During hospitalization, the pregnant woman should rest as much as possible, preferably lying on her left side, in order to improve blood flow to the baby.
3. Induction of childbirth
Childbirth is the only way to cure eclampsia, however induction can be delayed with medication so that the baby can develop as much as possible.
Thus, during treatment, a clinical examination should be performed daily, every 6 hours to control the evolution of eclampsia, and if there is no improvement, delivery should be induced as soon as possible, in order to resolve the convulsions caused eclampsia.
Although eclampsia usually improves after delivery, complications can arise in the following days, so the woman must be monitored closely and when observed signs of eclampsia persist, hospitalization can last from a few days to weeks, depending on the severity of the problem and possible complications.
Possible complications
Eclampsia can cause some complications, especially when not treated quickly as soon as it is identified. One of the main complications is the HELLP syndrome, which is characterized by a serious alteration of blood circulation, in which there is destruction of red blood cells, decreased platelets and damage to liver cells, causing an increase in liver enzymes and bilirubins in the blood test. Learn more about what it is and how to treat HELLP syndrome.
Other possible complications are decreased blood flow to the brain, causing neurological damage, as well as fluid retention in the lungs, breathing difficulties and kidney or liver failure.
In addition, babies can also be affected, with impairment in their development or the need to anticipate delivery. In some cases, the baby may not be fully developed, and as a result there may be problems, such as breathing difficulties, requiring monitoring by the neonatologist and, in some cases, admission to the ICU to ensure better care.