Eclampsia in pregnant women - causes, symptoms, methods of treatment
Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy that occurs in every fourth woman. According to the degree of severity, they distinguish: mild, moderate, severe preeclampsia, preeclampsia and eclampsia. Eclampsia in pregnant women is a life-threatening condition that, without medical help, can cause the death of the future mother and the fetus.
Why does eclampsia occur
There are no exact data on the causes of preeclampsia. There are several theories that partially explain it. According to the first version, the development of preeclampsia is caused by genetic disorders in the adaptation of a woman's body to pregnancy. The second testifies that the primary cause of preeclampsia is endocrine disorders. In addition, heredity is of great importance. The risk of developing this pathology is much higher in those women whose family had a mother, grandmother or sister suffering from preeclampsia.
The risk of eclampsia increases in the presence of impaired chronic infections of the body, in particular the reproductive system, as well as in the case of serious psychological problems.
Symptoms of eclampsia
The main clinical symptom of this pathology is convulsions similar to epileptic seizures. A distinction is made between eclampsia of pregnant women (before childbirth), postpartum eclampsia (attack during childbirth) and postpartum eclampsia. It is necessary to take into account a number of signs that are harbingers of an approaching attack:
- swellings that develop in the early stage of gestosis and gradually spread from the ankles upwards, reaching the anasarca (fluid permeates the entire body to the face and begins to flow into the abdominal cavity and pleura);
- 90% of women are diagnosed with a persistent increase in blood pressure after the appearance of edematous syndrome. An increase in systolic pressure by 30 mm indicates the presence of preeclampsia. Hg higher than the individual norm, and diastolic - by 15;
- protein begins to be determined in the urine analysis - this is a sign of severe nephropathy. Blood vessels do not retain proteins in the blood and begin to leak them into the urine. An increase in the amount of protein indicates an unfavorable course of gestation;
- the amount of urine released during the day gradually decreases (oliguria), reaching 400-600 ml; the less it is released, the more signs of a severe course of the disease.
Before a convulsive attack, there is a short period called preeclampsia. It is characterized by the following symptoms:
- heaviness or pain in the occipital region;
- impaired vision - blurring, flickering "flies" or flashes of light, decreased acuity;
- symptoms of dyspepsia - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
- neurological disorders in the form of sleep disorders, memory loss, lethargy, apathy.
This stage can last from several hours to several days. Careful treatment of a woman will allow early detection of alarming signs and prevention of true eclampsia, which can occur under the influence of even a weak stimulus - sharp sound, flash of light, emotional stress, etc.
Convulsions are a typical sign of eclampsia. They take place in four periods:
- introductory (30 sec) – tick-like twitches of individual groups of facial muscles are noted;
- tonic convulsions (10-20 s) - the woman bends over, freezes, stops breathing, her face becomes bluish-red; this is a critical stage during which death can occur from cerebral hemorrhage;
- clonic convulsions (30-90 s, sometimes longer) - the patient begins to fight in an attack in the absence of breathing; the pulse is not determined, convulsions spread from top to bottom, capturing all the muscles of the body; at the end of the attack, the patient takes a deep breath, which is often accompanied by snoring, and begins to breathe;
- the end of the attack, during which white or pinkish foam is released from the mouth due to blood impurities, breathing gradually normalizes, the face turns pink, convulsions stop.
After the attack, the patient falls asleep for a short time, and when she wakes up, she does not remember anything and complains of feeling tired and having a headache. If the woman does not regain consciousness, then this is a coma caused by cerebral edema, this is an unfavorable sign. Also a bad sign is a sudden increase in body temperature, accelerated pulse at a normal temperature, involuntary movements of the limbs, decreased urine output.
Emergency care for eclampsia
The main symptom of eclampsia is convulsions, so first aid is to ensure the safety of the woman's head. It should be raised above a hard surface and held, preventing the patient from injuring herself. You should not try to press the patient to the bed or to the floor, and in no case should you put anything in her mouth. Remember that almost until the end of the attack, the patient is not breathing, and therefore, she cannot suffocate. Important: at the first opportunity, it is necessary to carefully turn the woman's head to the side, and when the attack ends, turn the body to the side. "Ambulance" should be called as early as possible to provide assistance with eclampsia.
Emergency room doctors easily identify this pathology and can administer to the patient one of the sedative drugs (diazepex, midazolam), as well as magnesium sulfate - it is the drug of choice in the treatment of eclampsia. It lowers blood pressure, washes calcium from muscle cells, promoting their relaxation, and also increases the amount of urine. In addition, the patient (if she is conscious) is given a nifedipine tablet under the tongue to reduce pressure.
In the hospital, the patient is administered hydroxyethyl starch solutions, as well as protein preparations. The fight against swelling and high blood pressure continues. Medicines that thin the blood and improve microcirculation, vitamins are additionally administered.
When a woman is admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state, she can be transferred to artificial respiration. In all cases of eclampsia, emergency delivery by caesarean section is indicated for vital signs. This prevents the further development of complications, and also eliminates the risk of intrauterine suffering of the fetus.
Eclampsia is a serious, life-threatening complication of pregnancy. Specialists of the Dobrobut.com clinic recommend that if you have the slightest suspicion, you should immediately seek help and not refuse hospitalization.
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