Preeclampsia Presentation Treatment and Implications, Essay Example

Preeclampsia is a serious condition which generally occurs in women after the first twenty weeks of pregnancy and is characterized, among other symptoms, by elevated blood pressure at or above 140/90 and protein in the urine (World Health Organization, 2011, p. 1).   This is a serious condition which effects between five and eight percent of all pregnancies in the United States (Valente & Economy, 2013, p.344) and can lead to severe or even fatal complications for both mother and baby.

Patient Presentation and Treatment

My patient was a twenty-eight year old Hispanic multigravida in her thirty-seventh week of pregnancy.  She reported that she had been feeling “off” for several weeks, but just recently began to have symptoms which included blurred vision, nausea without vomiting, and moderate facial and hand edema.  She also reported that she has noticed she was urinating less in the past few days.  When her blood pressure was taken it was 192/110 and testing revealed +3 protein with urine dipstick, all classic signs of this disorder according to the Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic website, 2012, p. 1).

In regards to medical and personal history, patient reported that this is her third pregnancy but that her youngest child is now seven; she remarried two years ago and was having a child with her second husband. She also reported that while she did not have any problems with preeclampsia in her previous pregnancies, her sister did have this issue late in her own pregnancy.  The patient was positive for Type II diabetes mellitus and obesity, but negative for a history of hypertension.  Her obstetrician had her admitted for observation and her blood pressure was somewhat alleviated with use of a beta-blocker, but it was decided that it would be best to deliver to prevent any further complications. Patient was induced with a Pitocin drip and was able to deliver vaginally without any further complications. The infant had a high Apgar score and the preeclampsia resolved after the birth of the child.

Implications of Preeclampsia

There are many implications for patients with preeclampsia, most of them severe or potentially fatal. Firstly, women who suffer from this disorder are more likely to go on to have cardiovascular disease (Valente & Economy, 2013, p. 345).  They are at higher risk for decreased blood flow to the uterus and even for placental abruption, in which the placenta tears away from the uterus before the baby is delivered and this is an emergency situation for both mother and baby (Mayo Clinic website, 2014, p. 5).  They are also at risk for full-blown eclampsia, during which women will suffer seizures during their pregnancy (Valente & Economy, 2013, p. 345).  Another possible complication of preeclampsia is known as the HELLP syndrome, characterized by “hemolysis, elevated liver function enzymes, and low platelets” (Hladunewich, M., et. al. 2010, p. 543), and this can also quickly become life-threatening for both mother and child.All of these potential complications make the accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment of this condition a high priority.

Concluding Thoughts

Preeclampsia is a condition which can come on very suddenly and that alone makes careful and ongoing nursing assessment very important. Although most women can still give birth safely under these circumstances, it certainly warrants close monitoring of both mother and baby to ensure a healthy delivery and to avoid some of the more serious complications that can arise with this condition.

References

Hladunewich, M. et. al. (2010). “Pathophysiology of the Clinical Manifestations of Preeclampsia.” Clinical Journal of American Nephrology. 21 (2) 543-549.

“Preeclampsia” Mayo Clinic Website.  2013.  Web. 13 May 2014.

Valente, A.M. & Economy, K. (2012). “Preeclampsia”.  Circulation: The Journal of The American Heart Association. 128 (1) 344-346

“WHO Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia” (2011). World Health Organization website. Web. 13 May 2014.