Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

6 Questions

What distinguishes pre-eclampsia from gestational hypertension?

High blood pressure and proteinuria

Which organ dysfunction is NOT typically associated with complications of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy?

Lung collapse

What is a key characteristic of pre-eclampsia that aids in its diagnosis?

Proteinuria

Which risk factor is NOT associated with an increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia?

Young maternal age

Which of the following is a common consequence of pre-eclampsia on the baby?

Low birth weight

What process plays a significant role in the development of pre-eclampsia?

Placental ischemia

Study Notes

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy include gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia, contributing to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.
Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure before or early in pregnancy, while pre-eclampsia involves high blood pressure with proteinuria, and eclampsia adds seizures to pre-eclampsia.
Complications of these disorders include multi-organ dysfunction like renal failure, hepatic failure, CNS hemorrhage, stroke, pulmonary edema, placental abruption, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Pre-eclampsia can lead to growth restriction, prematurity, and perinatal death in the baby, making it the third leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S.
Normal blood pressure changes during pregnancy include a decrease in the first two trimesters and a rise in the third trimester.
Pre-eclampsia is unique to pregnancy and typically resolves postpartum, characterized by hypertension and proteinuria due to glomerular filtration barrier dysfunction.
Risk factors for pre-eclampsia include first-time pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, twin pregnancies, but the exact cause is unknown.
Placental ischemia plays a key role in pre-eclampsia development, leading to oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and activation of the coagulation system.
Criteria for severe pre-eclampsia include severe hypertension, severe proteinuria, oliguria, visual disturbances, pulmonary edema, epigastric pain, impaired liver function, thrombocytopenia, and fetal growth restriction.
HELLP syndrome is a severe variant of pre-eclampsia characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, occurring in around 0.1 to 0.2% of pregnancies and necessitating close monitoring and potentially early delivery.