Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia

What it is

Hypertension in pregnancy falls into four groups. Chronic HTN is present before pregnancy or before 20 weeks GA, or persists past 12 wks postpartum. Gestational HTN is new HTN at 20 wks GA or later, with no proteinuria, normalizing within 12 wks postpartum. Preeclampsia-eclampsia is HTN together with proteinuria of 300 mg/24h or more, or 1+ or more on dipstick. The fourth group is chronic HTN with superimposed preeclampsia. Eclampsia is the development of a grand mal seizure in a woman who has pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia is seen after 20 weeks gestation. The proteinuria threshold is also written as more than 0.3 g in 24 hours, or a protein to creatinine ratio of 0.3 or more, and the hypertension as 140/90 mmHg or more on 2 occasions at least 4 hours apart, or 160/110 mmHg once. Oedema used to be the third element of the classic triad but is now often left out of the definition, as it is not specific.