Pregnancy Induced Hypertension:

Eclampsia and Pre-Eclampsia

PIH a significant rise in blood pressure during pregnancy, occurring after 20 weeks
Pre-eclampsia:
Criteria for diagnosing is hypertension & proteinuria
Can occur as early as 20 weeks but more commonly occurs beyond 24-28 weeks
More common in first pregnancies, multiple pregnancies, with pre-existing hypertension,
diabetes, or renal disease
Increased in blood pressure above 140/90mmHg, oedema and detection of protein in the
patients urine
Is primarily a placental disorder associated with poor placental perfusion
Symptoms:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Headache
Visual disturbances
Epigastric pain
Right-sided upper abdominal pain
Muscle twitching
Nausea, vomiting, confusion

Complications:
Intracranial hemorrhage and stroke
Renal failure
Liver failure
Abnormal blood clotting
Eclampsia:
Life threatening complications of pre-eclampsia
Criteria for diagnosing is tonic/clonic convulsions
Occurs usually beyond 24 weeks
Significant cause of maternal mortality
Unless patient is known to suffer from epileptic or tonic/clonic convulsions, then convulsion in
pregnancy must be managed as ECLAMPSIA
Convulsion is usually self-limiting and will end in 2-3 minutes
Use left lateral tilt prior to delivery