Case Study Patient Perspective

I was 30 weeks into my pregnancy when my

symptoms started. I was unwell feeling for about
five days then I started feeling sick and nauseated.
The fifth night I woke up a few times with pain at
the tip of my sternum. The next day the pain
intensified. I called my doctors office and they said
they would have my doctor call me back. That
evening my doctor called me, and I told him all of
my symptoms. I also told him that I had just found
out my sister-in-law had the flu and I had been
around her the night before. He told me to wait
and see how I felt in the morning and if I still felt

The next morning I went to the doctors office and he asked

me questions about my symptoms, checked my urine, and did
some blood work. When the results came back, he decided to do
an ultrasound of my abdomen. The ultrasound should that I had
chronic cholecystitis and would need to have my gallbladder
removed as soon as possible.
I went to to the hospital and the surgeon said I had the classic
symptoms for needing my gallbladder out. She asked me what
my blood pressure was at the doctors office and I told her that
they didnt take it. She told the nurse to take it, but she kept
having problems. My blood pressure was 188/110.
They started me on magnesium sulfate and checked my urine
and blood again. I had 4+ protein in my urine and my platelets
were 23,000

When does HELLP occur? What are the risk factors?

What are some of the complications that can arise from
HELLP?
What lab tests are ordered to confirm HELLP?
What are the treatment options for HELLP?