Preeclampsia

Research papers on preeclampsia explain the importance of the nurse in the diagnosis of preeclampsia. Paper Masters can outline all the factors regarding preeclampsia in a custom research paper for you.

Preeclampsia is unpredictable in its onset and the only cure is delivery of the baby. The only true way to diagnose the disease is to do so postpartum, from the regression of symptoms following delivery. The most crucial step in identifying preeclampsia is the early detection of elevated blood pressure. For the most part, clinicians may use PIH as the guiding method of treatment, but treatment varies greatly between hypertensive women and women who develop PIH.

Preeclampsia occurs in approximately 7-10% of all pregnancies, and has several possible risk factors, including:

• Nulliparity
• Age
• Multiple gestation
• Obesity

One of the most severe effects of preeclampsia is vasospasm, the reduction of blood flow to the major organs of the body. This vasospasm also causes intra-arterial lesions. One possible stimulus for preeclampsia is damage to or activation of the endothelium, since endothelial cells are extensively damaged in preeclampsia.

One of the most important physiological changes in preeclampsia is reduced placental perfusion, and that somehow the placenta is the agent that damages the endothelial. Despite the popularity of the endothelial dysfunction hypothesis, inconsistencies of the disease leave the true cause unidentified. A second hypothesis is that of oxidative stress, where reactive oxygen species and free radicals are produced.

As a nurse, it is important to remember that preeclampsia is not the same as PIH. However, careful and close monitoring of blood pressure and proteinuria before the third trimester is crucial. Risk factors should be assessed as soon as possible, and patients having one or more of these factors should be advised to both monitor their blood pressure frequently at home, as well as providing more frequent urine samples. However, patients with one or more risk factor related to lifestyle can and should be advised to reduce such risk factors before becoming pregnant.

Preeclampsia and the Nurse

The nurse can be the most important health care provider a woman will interact with during pregnancy. Nurses should teach their patients about the risks of preeclampsia, and encourage both risk factor reductions and commitment to treatment options. If nothing else, such lifestyle changes, though they may not prevent preeclampsia, will go a long way towards improving the health of the postpartum mother.