Preeclampsia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Preeclampsia

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Preeclampsia

Alternative Names:

Toxemia; Pregnancy-induced hypertension

Symptoms:

Edema (swelling of the hands and face present upon arising)
Weight gain
- In excess of 2 pounds per week
- Of sudden onset, over 1 to 2 days
Headaches

Note: Some swelling of the feet and ankles is considered normal with pregnancy.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Decreased urine output
Nausea and vomiting
Facial swelling
High blood pressure
Agitation
Vision changes (flashing lights in the eyes)
Abdominal pain

Signs and tests:

Documented weight gain
Swelling in the upper body
Elevated blood pressure
Proteinuria (protein noted in urine)
Thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 100,000)
Elevated liver function tests

Preeclampsia may also alter the results of some laboratory tests.

Review Date: 8/8/2005
Reviewed By: Sharon Roseanne Thompson, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Fellow, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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