eclampsia /eclamp·sia/ (ĕ-klamp´se-ah) convulsions and coma, rarely coma alone, occurring in a pregnant or puerperal woman, and associated with hypertension, edema, and/or proteinuria.eclamp´tic
eclampsia
uremic eclampsia that due to uremia.
e·clamp·si·a ( -kl mp s - )n. Coma or convulsions in a patient with preeclampsia, occurring in late pregnancy, during labor, or within 24 hours after parturition. e·clamp tic (-tk) adj. |
eclampsia
[iklamp′sē·ə]
Etymology: Gk, ek, out, lampein, to flash
the gravest form of pregnancy-induced hypertension. It is characterized by grand mal seizure, coma, hypertension, proteinuria, and edema. The symptoms of impending seizure often include body temperature of up to 104° F, anxiety, epigastric pain, severe headache, and blurred vision. The nurse is alert to persistently and extremely high blood pressure and to increasingly hyperactive deep-tendon reflexes, or clonus. Convulsions may be prevented by bed rest in a quiet, dimly lit room and parenteral administration of magnesium sulfate and antihypertensive medications. The nurse attentively monitors the mother's general condition, including respiration, deep tendon reflexes, blood pressure, magnesium sulfate levels, and urine and protein excretion, as well as the baby's heart rate. Treatment of a convulsion must include maintenance of the mother's airway, protection of the mother against self-injury, and administration of medication to check the convulsion and decrease the blood pressure. Once this is accomplished, delivery is indicated. Convulsions rarely occur in the puerperium. Complications of eclampsia include cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, renal failure, liver necrosis, abruptio placentae, hypofibrinogenemia, hemolysis, and retinal hemorrhages, sometimes with temporary blindness. The maternal mortality rate in eclampsia is 10%; the fetal mortality rate is 25%. Eclampsia occurs in 0.2% of pregnancies. The cause is not known.
eclampsia
a syndrome including convulsions and coma occurring in animals soon after birth of the young.
bitch eclampsia
see puerperal tetany.
mare eclampsia
see lactation tetany (2).
puerperal eclampsia
see puerperal tetany.
sow eclampsia
a poorly defined condition of older sows after farrowing which responds to treatment with calcium and magnesium.
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