Eclampsia (patient information)

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Eclampsia

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Eclampsia?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Eclampsia On the Web

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Directions to Hospitals Treating Eclampsia

Risk calculators and risk factors for Eclampsia

Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Synonyms and keywords: Toxemia with seizures

Overview

Eclampsia is seizures (convulsions) in a pregnant woman that are not related to a preexisting brain condition.

What are the symptoms of Eclampsia?

  • Symptoms of eclampsia include:
  • Symptoms of preeclampsia include:

What causes Eclampsia?

  • The cause of eclampsia is not well understood. Researchers believe the following may play a role:
  • Blood vessels
  • Brain and nervous system (neurological) factors
  • Diet
  • Genes
  • However, no theories have yet been proven.
  • It is difficult to predict which women with preeclampsia will go on to have seizures.

Who is at highest risk?

Women at high risk for seizures have severe preeclampsia and:

When to seek urgent medical care?

  • Call your health care provider or go to the emergency room if you have any symptoms of eclampsia or preeclampsia.
  • Emergency symptoms include seizures or decreased consciousness.

Diagnosis

  • The health care provider will do a physical exam and rule out other possible causes of seizures.
  • Blood pressure and breathing rate will be checked and monitored.
  • Blood and urine tests may be done to check:

Treatment options

  • If you have preeclampsia your health care provider should carefully monitor you for signs of worsening and potential eclampsia.
  • Delivery is the treatment of choice for severe preeclampsia in an attempt to prevent eclampsia. Delivering the baby relieves the condition. Prolonging the pregnancy can be dangerous to both you and your infant.
  • With careful monitoring, the goal is to manage severe cases until 32 - 34 weeks into the pregnancy, and mild cases until 36 - 37 weeks have passed. This helps reduce complications from premature delivery.
  • Your doctor may prescribe medication to lower high blood pressure, but you may have to deliver if your blood pressure stays high, even with medication.

Where to find medical care for Eclampsia?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Eclampsia

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Women in the United States rarely die from eclampsia.

Possible complications

Prevention

  • It is important for all pregnant women to get early and ongoing medical care. This allows for the early diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as preeclampsia.

Source

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000899.htm

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