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Eclampsia

Eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy and is characterised by convulsions. Usually eclampsia occurs after the onset of pre-eclampsia though sometimes no pre-eclamptic symptoms are recognisable. The convulsions may appear before, during or after labour, though cases of eclampsia after just 20 weeks of pregnancy have been recorded. more...

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Signs and symptoms

The majority of cases are heralded by pregnancy-induced hypertension and proteinuria but the only true sign of eclampsia is an eclamptic convulsion, of which there are four stages. Patients with edema and oliguria may develop renal failure or pulmonary oedema.

  • Premonitory stage - this stage is usually missed unless constantly monitored, the woman rolls her eyes while her facial and hand muscles twitch slightly.
  • Tonic stage - soon after the premonitory stage the twitching turns into clenching. Sometimes the woman may bite her tongue as she clenches her teeth, while the arms and legs go rigid. The respiratory muscles also spasm, causing the woman to stop breathing. This stage continues for around 30 seconds.
  • Clonic stage - the spasm stops but the muscles start to jerk violently. Frothy, slightly bloodied saliva appears on the lips and can sometimes be inhaled. After around two minutes the convulsions stop, leading into a coma, but some cases lead to heart failure.
  • Comatose stage - the woman falls deeply unconscious, breathing noisily. This can last only a few minutes or may persist for hours.

Epidemiology

It can be fatal to both mother and fetus, with just under one in 50 women dying and one in 14 of their babies also not surviving, despite best-available medical care.

Bibliography

  • Mayes, M., Sweet, B. R. & Tiran, D. (1997). Mayes' Midwifery - A Textbook for Midwives 12th Edition, pp. 533–545. Baillière Tindall. ISBN 0-7020-1757-4

Read more at Wikipedia.org


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Embarazadas: cuidado con la preclampsia.(TT: Pregnant women: carefull with pre-eclampsia) : An article from: Contenido $5.95 Eclampsia - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References $48.95
Preeclamptic and eclamptic toxemia of pregnancy $72.50 Pre-eclampsia: Current Perspectives on Management $49.98
Treatment of refractory seizures in eclampsia with propofol: a case report.(Case Report) : An article from: Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine $5.95 Keep priorities straight when treating eclampsia.(Obstetrics) : An article from: OB GYN News $5.95
Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health : Preeclampsia and eclampsia $5.99 Pre-Eclampsia: The Facts : The Hidden Threat to Pregnancy (Oxford Medical Publications) $202.17
21st Century Complete Medical Guide to Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, Toxemia of Pregnancy, Hypertension and Pregnancy, Authoritative Government Documents, Clinical ... for Patients and Physicians (CD-ROM) $25.00 Pre-Eclampsia: The Hypertensive Disease of Pregnancy $181.01

Keep priorities straight when treating eclampsia
NEW YORK -- Eclampsia has become increasingly rare in Western countries, but it still occurs in 1 in 2,000-3,500 pregnancies--and obstetric clinics must be prepared to treat it, Baha M. Sibai, M.D.
Case report: late-onset eclampsia presents as bilateral cortical blindness
TO THE EDITOR: Although preeclampsia is typically diagnosed in the prenatal period, we would like to describe an unusual case of late-onset eclampsia ...
Preventing eclampsia : an interview with Tom Brewer, MD
Despite a century of research, American medicine offers as little today for the prevention and treatment of eclampsia (traditionally called toxemia) ...
Preeclampsia and eclampsia
Preeclampsia and eclampsia are complications of pregnancy. In preeclampsia, the woman has dangerously high blood pressure, swelling, and protein in the ...
ACOG Practice Bulletin on Diagnosing and Managing Preeclampsia and Eclampsia - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
The Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has developed a practice bulletin on ...
Labetalol holds advantages over MgS[O.sub.4] in preventing eclampsia, early data suggest
VIENNA -- Labetalol may be a viable alternative to magnesium sulfate for the prevention of eclampsia, Jennifer Warren, M.D., said at the 14th World Congress of the International Society for the Stu
Women's health, breast and pelvic disorders: pre-eclampsia and stress
Preeclampsia occurred in 180 of 3,321 working, pregnant Norwegian women who completed a questionnaire sorting them into a cohort reporting a highly stressful and hectic work pace vs. those who neve
Morbidity rose during 4-year period: eclampsia tops list of severe maternal morbidities
SALT LAKE CITY -- For every 1,000 deliveries in the United States between 1991 and 2000, 4.6 women experienced severe morbidity, Dr. William M. Callaghan ...

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