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Query: UMLS:C0728731 (prematurity)
 7,134 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The syndrome of haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP Syndrome) is a consequence of severe preeclampsia/eclampsia. The clinical course is characterized by an unusual presentation with abdominal pain, and manifestations of inadequate haemostasis and excessive bleeding are common. Maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality are high. We report our experience with 33 patients over a five-year period. The mean gestational age (GA) of the pregnancies was 34 +/- 2.8 wk including 11 patients who delivered 12 neonates of less than 34 wk GA. The most common presenting complaints were right upper quadrant or epigastric pain in 25 patients (76%) and nausea or vomiting in 14 patients (42%). Diagnosis was missed or delayed in 12 patients (36%). Thirty-one patients (94%) were delivered by Caesarean section and a deteriorating maternal condition was the most common indication for operative delivery. Twenty-three patients received general anaesthesia, eight received epidural anaesthesia and there were no complications related to the anaesthetic. There was clinical evidence of abnormal haemostasis: seven patients had excessive blood loss at Caesarean section, two had postpartum haemorrhage, three developed DIC and four developed wound haematoma. The average decrease in haemoglobin concentration was 32 g.L-1 and twelve patients (36%) received blood transfusions. There was one stillbirth. There were no neonatal deaths but morbidity was prominent and related primarily to prematurity. Delayed or missed diagnosis is common in HELLP syndrome and a premature delivery by Caesarean section is usual.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Obstetrical anaesthesia for patients with the syndrome of haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. 173 44

The perceptive physician can anticipate and prevent eclampsia. If possible, he should try to prolong preeclamptic pregnancies to the 37th week to avoid neonatal deaths from complications and prematurity. In some cases, preeclampsia strikes and progresses rapidly before the 30th week, however, and, in order to save the mother, the pregnancy must be terminated. If the preeclamptic woman deteriorates to the point where severe headache, epigastric pain, vomiting, and hyperreflexia exist, eclampsia is imminent. If she becomes eclamptic, clinicians must immediately begin to manage the convulsions with a sedative. Diazepam has proved successful which accounts for its widespread use in Great Britain and developing countries. Large doses given over a long period of time, however, adversely affect the newborn, e.g. respiratory depression. Another popular sedative is magnesium sulphate (in use for 50 years). Dangers of overdose can be avoided by testing the patella reflex every hour when magnesium sulphate is being administered intravenously: the reflex becomes null before serious toxic effects occur. If the systolic blood pressure exceeds 170mmHg, antihypertensives should also be given selectively to prevent cerebral hemorrhage. The preferred antihypertensive must act rapidly and predictably, with a wide margin of safety between the therapeutic and toxic dose. Hydralazine hydrochloride meets these requirements. Fluid and acid-base balances must be controlled to treat hypovolemia, oliguria, and acidosis. The longer delivery is delayed, the worse the outlook for mother and infant. Regardless of the type of delivery, clinicians must avoid hemorrhage and operative shock because eclamptics cannot tolerate blood loss. It is imperative that clinicians do not become so involved in saving the patient that they overtreat her, e.g., mixing antihypertensives.
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PMID:Eclampsia. 675 54

Eclampsia is a well-recognised major cause of maternal death and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The incidence of eclampsia, its presentation patterns, maternal and perinatal outcomes were investigated in a retrospective study conducted at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria over an 8-year period, 1995 - 2002. There were 103 cases of eclampsia of 7835 deliveries, giving an incidence of one in 76 (1.32%). The mean age of the women was 27.1 +/- 5.6 years. Eclampsia significantly (P < 0.001) occurred in nulliparous and unbooked mothers. Eighty-nine (86.4%) of the patients developed fits in the predelivery stage; 85 (83%) of the patients had at least one premonitory symptom including headache (82.4%) visual disturbance (10.6%) and epigastric pain (7%). There were nine stillbirths and 16 early neonatal deaths for a perinatal mortality rate of 214/1000. The major causes of perinatal mortality were prematurity and birth asphyxia. Eleven maternal deaths occurred with a maternal case fatality rate of 10.7% and a maternal mortality ratio from eclampsia of 140/100 000. The clinical causes of deaths were cardiopulmonary failure, acute renal failure, haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome and cerebrovascular accident. Timely referral of high-risk patients coupled with availability of emergency obstetric and neonatal care services would reduce the incidence eclampsia associated mortality and morbidity in our facility.
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PMID:Maternal and fetal outcome in eclamptic patients in Benin City, Nigeria. 1576 83

HELLP syndrome is a multi-organ disorder unique to pregnancy. It is characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets in patients with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. In King Abdulaziz Oncology Center, Jeddah, seven patients with HELLP syndrome were admitted over a period of four years (1991-94). Retrospective analysis of data was done to study the clinical profile of HELLP syndrome. The incidence of HELLP syndrome in our institution was 1 per 2285 deliveries. One patient was Saudi and six were non-Saudis. The age range was 23 to 44 years, with a mean of 29 years. All patients were multipara. The disorder occurred between 24 to 33 weeks of gestational age, the average being 29 weeks. The most commonly encountered clinical feature was right upper quadrant/epigastric pain. Other features included nausea/vomiting, jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy, azotemia, hypotension and grand mal convulsions. All patients had severe pre-eclampsia pr eclampsia. Indirect hyperbilirubinemia was in the range of 2 to 8 mg/dL and elevated transaminases up to 229 U/L (n<40 U/L) were noted. Various degrees of peripheral thrombocytopenia (<150x10(9)/L) were present in seven patients. Four patients had elevated prothrombin and partial thromboplastin time with postive fibrinogen degradation products. Laboratory abnormalities returned to normal within 10 days following delivery. Four patients were delivered by cesarean section and three had vaginal deliveries. We had two maternal deaths (mortality 34%). One died of multi-organ failure and the other with adult respiratory distress syndrome. There was one stillbirth and the second baby died soon after birth due to prematurity (infant perinatal mortality 34%). We conclude that HELLP syndrome is rare among pregnant women in our institution. It should always be suspected in women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia when they present with upper abdominal pain. Multipara seem to be more afflicted. Subclinical disseminated intravascular coagulation was detected in 55% of the patients. A majority of our patients presented late to the hospital.
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PMID:HELLP syndrome: Clinical profile of seven patients. 1737 23