The treatment of eclampsia consists of the administration of magnesium sulfate in the vein, water intake and rest. In addition, it may be necessary to induce labor if the problem persists, and to continue treatment for the following days.
Eclampsia is a serious problem that occurs in pregnancy, which causes symptoms such as high blood pressure, swelling in the body, seizures and coma, which can be fatal if not treated immediately. This problem is more common in the last 3 months of pregnancy, however, it can manifest itself before that period, during childbirth or postpartum. Learn more about eclampsia.
How the treatment is done
Eclampsia, unlike common high blood pressure, does not respond to diuretics or a low-salt diet, so treatment consists of the following:
1. Administration of magnesium sulfate
The administration of magnesium sulphate in the vein is the most common treatment in cases of eclampsia, which works by controlling seizures and falling into a coma. Treatment should be done after hospitalization and magnesium sulfate should be administered by a healthcare professional directly into the vein.
2. Rest
During hospitalization, the pregnant woman should rest as much as possible, preferably lying on her left side, in order to improve blood flow to the baby.
3. Induction of childbirth
Childbirth is the only way to cure eclampsia, however induction can be delayed with medications so that the baby can develop as much as possible.
Thus, during treatment, a clinical examination should be performed daily, every 6 hours to control the evolution of eclampsia, and if there is no improvement, delivery should be induced as soon as possible, in order to resolve the convulsions caused eclampsia.
Although eclampsia usually improves after delivery, complications can arise in the following days, so the woman should be monitored closely and when observed signs of eclampsia persist, hospitalization can last from a few days to weeks, depending on the severity of the problem and possible complications.
