A Place for short cases/ SAQ's, handy tips & good resources on the web. Short bites of information relevant to EM.

Sunday, 1 September 2013

Baby on Board

The majority of pregnancies don't need the ED, but sometimes things don't go to plan, therefore a working knowledge of physiology in pregnancy and certain presentations are common MCEM questions.


For Part A

For Part B

Pre-Eclampsia affects around 5-6% of pregnancies. It is a triad of...
  1. Hypertension 
  2. Proteinuria
  3. Oedema
1-2% of patients with pre-eclampsia will develop eclampsia. Eclampsia is marked by the development of seizures.

For Pre-eclampsia:
  • Obstetric input
  • Consider left lateral position - see physiological changes in pregnancy
  • Control BP - labetalol/ hydralazine
  • Limit fluid input.
  • Consider magnesium
  • Delivery is the definitive management. Notably pre-eclampsia can develop for up to several weeks after delivery!

For Eclampsia:
  • ABC!
  • Magnesium 4g IV over 5-10 mins to treat seizures.



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