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Treatments for Preeclampsia
Treatment list for Preeclampsia:
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Preeclampsia includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
- Discuss anti-hypertension medications with your doctor - even if you were using them before pregnancy, they may not be appropriate for pregnant women.
- Avoid ACE inhibitors - possible fetal effects
- Avoid Angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonists
- Bed rest - in mild cases
- Hospitalization
- Intravenous saline
- Magnesium sulphate
- Induced labor - once the condition is stable.
- Caesarian section - once the condition is stable.
- Normal delivery - some babies are born vaginally; in other cases caesarian is chosen.
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Drugs and Medications used to treat Preeclampsia:
Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any prescription drug, OTC drug, medication, treatment or change in treatment plans.
Some of the different medications used in the treatment of Preeclampsia include:
Unlabeled Drugs and Medications to treat Preeclampsia:
Unlabelled alternative drug treatments for Preeclampsia include:
- Phenytoin
- Diphenydantoin
- Dilantin
- Dilantin Infatabs
- Dilantin w/Phenobarbital
- Di-Phen
- Diphenylan
- Ekko JR
- Ekko SR
- Ekko Three
- Mebroin
- Phelantin
Discussion of treatments for Preeclampsia:
The only way to "cure" preeclampsia is to deliver the baby. (Source: excerpt from High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy: NHLBI)Treatments of Preeclampsia: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Preeclampsia.
Pulse pressure, widened:
Emergency interventions
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If the patient’s level of consciousness (LOC) is decreased, and you suspect that his widened pulse pressure results from increased ICP, check his vital signs. Maintain a patent airway, and prepare to hyperventilate the patient with a handheld resuscitation bag to help reduce partial pressure of carbon dioxide levels and, thus, ICP. Perform a thorough neurologic examination to serve as a baseline for assessing subsequent changes. Use the Glasgow Coma Scale to evaluate the patient’s LOC. (See Glasgow Coma Scale, page 374.) Also, check cranial nerve function — especially in cranial nerves III, IV, and VI — and assess pupillary reactions, reflexes, and muscle tone. Insertion of an ICP monitor may be necessary. If you don’t suspect increased ICP, ask about associated symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, or syncope. Check for edema, and auscultate for murmurs.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Pregnancy-induced hypertension:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Therapy for preeclampsia is designed to halt the disorder’s progress — specifically, the early effects of eclampsia, such as seizures, residual hypertension, and renal shutdown — and to ensure fetal survival. Some physicians advocate the prompt induction of labor, especially if the patient is near term; others follow a more conservative approach. Therapy may include complete bed rest to increase placental perfusion, reduce hypertension, and evaluate response to therapy. Antihypertensive therapy doesn’t alter the potential for developing eclampsia. Diuretics aren’t appropriate during pregnancy.
If the patient’s blood pressure fails to respond to bed rest and sedation and persistently rises above 160/100 mm Hg, or if central nervous system irritability increases, magnesium sulfate may produce general sedation, promote diuresis, and prevent seizures. Cesarean birth or oxytocin induction may be required to terminate the pregnancy.
Emergency treatment of eclamptic seizures consists of immediate administration of magnesium sulfate (I.V. drip), oxygen administration, and electronic fetal monitoring. After the seizures subside and the patient’s condition stabilizes, delivery should proceed with induction of labor or cesarean birth, depending upon the circumstances.
Adequate nutrition, good prenatal care, and control of pre-existing hypertension during pregnancy decrease the incidence and severity of preeclampsia. Early recognition and prompt treatment of preeclampsia can prevent progression to eclampsia.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Pulse pressure, widened:
Emergency Interventions
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Ifthe patient’s level of consciousness (LOC) is decreased, and you suspect that his widened pulse pressure results from increased ICP, check his vital signs and oxygen saturation. Maintain a patent airway. Provide supplemental oxygen and ventilatory support to keep the patient’s partial pressure of arterial oxygen above 90 mm Hg or his oxygen saturation above 95%. Give osmotic diuretics, such as mannitol, by I.V. infusion to decrease ICP. Insert an indwelling urinary catheter; monitor intake and output during mannitol therapy. Start ICP monitoring. Administer analgesics as ordered. Hyperventilation therapy to decrease the patient’s partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide and to treat ICP remains controversial but may be needed for short intervals when ICP and neurologic deterioration increase. Perform a neurologic examination. Use the Glasgow Coma Scale (see page 480) to evaluate LOC. Check cranial nerve function—especially cranial nerves III, IV, and VI—and assess papillary reactions, reflexes, and muscle tone. Continue ICP monitoring. If you don’t suspect increased ICP, ask about associated symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, or syncope. Check for edema and auscultate for murmurs.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Hypertension, pregnancy-induced:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Adequate nutrition, good prenatal care, and control of preexisting hypertension with hydralazine during pregnancy decrease the incidence and severity of preeclampsia. Early recognition and prompt treatment of preeclampsia can prevent progression to eclampsia.
Therapy for preeclampsia is designed to halt the disorder’s progress — specifically, the early effects of eclampsia, such as seizures, residual hypertension, and renal shutdown — and to ensure fetal survival. Some physicians advocate the prompt induction of labor, especially if the patient is near term; others follow a more conservative approach.
Conservative measures
Therapy may include sedatives, such as phenobarbital, along with complete bed rest to relieve anxiety, reduce hypertension, and evaluate response to therapy. If renal function remains adequate, a high-protein, low-sodium, low-carbohydrate diet with increased fluid intake is recommended.
If blood pressure fails to respond to bed rest and sedation and persistently rises above 160/100 mm Hg or if CNS irritability increases, magnesium sulfate may produce general sedation, promote diuresis, reduce blood pressure, and prevent seizures.
Cesarean delivery
If these measures fail to improve the patient’s condition or if fetal life is endangered (as determined by stress or nonstress tests), cesarean delivery or oxytocin induction may be required to terminate the pregnancy.
Treatment for seizures
Emergency treatment of eclamptic seizures consists of immediate administration of I.V. diazepam, followed by magnesium sulfate (I.V. drip), oxygen administration, and electronic fetal monitoring. After the patient’s condition stabilizes, a cesarean delivery may be performed.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Pulse pressure, widened:
Nursing considerations
(Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series)
If the patient displays increased ICP, continually reevaluate his neurologic status and compare your findings carefully with those of previous evaluations. Stay alert for restlessness, confusion, unresponsiveness, or a decreased LOC. Keep in mind, however, that increasing ICP is commonly signaled by subtle changes in the patient’scondition, rather than the abrupt development of any one sign or symptom.
Patient teaching
Explain needed dietary modifications such as restricted sodium and saturated fats. Stress the importance of planning rest periods. If the patient has a decreased LOC, discuss specific safety measures. If the condition is related to increased body temperature, discuss fever management, proper cooling measures if exposed to excessive heat for long periods, and proper fluid consumption with the patient.
Source: Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series, 2007
Pulse pressure, widened:
Emergency Actions
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Ifthe patient’s level of consciousness (LOC) is decreased, and you suspect that his widened pulse pressure results from increased ICP, check his vital signs. Maintain a patent airway, and prepare to hyperventilate the patient with a handheld resuscitation bag to help reduce partial pressure of carbon dioxide levels and, thus, ICP. Perform a thorough neurologic examination to serve as a baseline for assessing subsequent changes. Use the Glasgow Coma Scale to evaluate the patient’s LOC. (See Glasgow Coma Scale, page 396.) Also, check cranial nerve function — especially in cranial nerves III, IV, and VI — and assess pupillary reactions, reflexes, and muscle tone. Insertion of an ICP monitor may be necessary. Check for edema and auscultate for murmurs.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Pulse pressure, widened:
Nursing considerations
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
▪ If the patient displays increased ICP, continually evaluate his neurologic status.
▪ Be alert for restlessness, confusion, unresponsiveness, or decreased LOC.
▪ Watch for subtle changes in the patient's condition.
Patient teaching
▪ Explain diagnostic tests, such as blood studies, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging.
▪ Explain the underlying disorder and treatment plan.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
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