Eclampsia: An Update

Eclampsia is an acute and urgent clinical condition during pregnancy. Frequently, it is a convulsive manifestation of preeclampsia. Fortunately, eclampsia is decreasing in developed countries but is still a major obstetric issue in the developing countries. The exact pathophysiology of eclampsia is not completely understood. The risk factors for eclampsia ranges from being primigravida to multifetal gestation. Eclampsia occurs after 20 weeks of gestation, with proteinuria, hypertension, and seizure activity, but is also increasingly detected without hypertension. The main management of eclampsia patients includes prevention of maternal hypoxia and injury, reducing the raised blood pressure, prevention of reoccurrence of seizure activity, and prompt delivery of the fetus. Eclampsia can cause multiorgan dysfunction and a majority of patients will have posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), preterm delivery. Overall eclampsia increases the fetomaternal mortality risk.