Human Reproduction, Seminars: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension  
Schedule | Lectures | Seminars | Tests | Glossary | Cases | Index | Review  | Search | Feedback
Human Reproduction Logo

SEMINAR 3 :   PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION AND OBSTETRICAL HEMORRHAGE
A.  A1.  A2.  A3.  A4.  B.  B1.  B2. 

Case History- Hypertension: Pregnancy Induced

Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) complicates 6-8% of pregnancies in the United States and accounts for 15% of maternal deaths. It ranks second only to embolic events as a cause of maternal mortality. It also is an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. In pregnant women, two distinct hypertensive disorders are common: Chronic hypertension and pregnancy induced hypertension. Women with chronic underlying hypertension are at risk for PIH. PIH is a multi-organ pathologic state with various subsets:

Risk factors for preeclampsia are noted in the following table:

  • Preeclampsia which defines significant renal involvement

  • Eclampsia where central nervous system involvement leads to seizures

  • HELLP syndrome where hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets characterize the disorder

Ordinarily PIH begins after 20 weeks gestation, but patients with gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) are an exception; they can develop classic PIH in the first or second trimester

.

top

back next
Human Reproduction : Clinical, Pathologic and Pharmacologic Correlations.
Copyright C. Matthew Peterson, M.D., 1997