eclampsia

Convulsions arising during pregnancy in association with pre-eclampsia. It is a rare disorder, but is dangerous to both the mother and fetus.

ICD-9	642.6
DiseasesDB	4068
MedlinePlus	000899
eMedicine	med/633 The convulsions may appear before, during or after labour, though cases of eclampsia after just 20 weeks of pregnancy have been recorded. 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. 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. Epidemiology Eclampsia can be fatal to both mother and fetus, with just under one in 50 affected women and one in 14 fetuses of affected women dying despite best-available medical care. Treatment The treatment of seizures in eclampsia usually involves the use of magnesium sulfate Bibliography Mayes, M., Sweet, B.

Signs and symptoms