Signs and symptoms
What are we monitoring in the urine in a patient with preeclampsia?
Protein levels (Proteinuria)
Is this a normal, mild, or severe range blood pressure?
126/74
Normal
How far postpartum can preeclampsia be diagnosed?
6 weeks postpartum
When drawing blood, what levels is the nurse looking for?
Liver function, kidney function and platelet count count
A patient presents to this hospital for a blood pressure evaluation who is greater than 23 weeks gestation. What will you do first?
Apply fetal monitors to observe the fetal heart tones and obtain a set of vital signs
Patients with preeclampsia complain of pain in that quadrant?
Right upper quadrant
Is this a normal, mild, or severe range blood pressure? Would we treat this blood pressure with IV antihypertensives?
168/94
severe, yes treat blood pressure with antihypertensives
Preeclampsia can be diagnosed after how many weeks of gestation?
20 weeks gestation, prior to 20 weeks investigate idea of chronic hypertension
What sample is sometimes obtained over a span of hospital stay, to monitor the protein in the urine?
24 hour urine sample
You obtain the patients vitals and there blood pressure is 149/86. What do you do next?
Venipuncture for lab draw to check CBC, liver function, and kidney function.
What platelet count would be concerning for a patient with severe pre eclampsia?
Platelet count less than 100,000
Is this a normal, mild, or severe range blood pressure? would we treat this blood pressure with IV antihypertensives?
139/89
normal , no
What are some risk factors to Preeclampsia?
African american women, advanced maternal age, obesity, multiple gestation, previous preclampsia, chronic hypertension
What is an NST?
A test that checks how the baby's heart rate reacts over the span of 20 minutes
You obtain the patient's blood pressure and it is 174/115. What do you do next?
notify MD, start IV, obtain orders to administer antihypertensives
What are some other preeclampsia symptoms that a patient might present with?
Blurry vision, headache, swelling of the hands, face and feet, severe nausea and vomiting, pain in the upper right quadrant, high blood pressure
Is this normal, mild, or severe range blood pressure? Would we treat this blood pressure with IV antihypertensives?
142/94
Mild blood pressure, no we would not treat this blood pressure
What are the two most common IV blood pressure medications given in pregnancy?
Labetalol and hydralazine
What is a BPP or biophysical profile?
An ultrasound that measures the baby's breathing, muscle tone, movement, heartbeat, and volume of amniotic fluid.
After giving a patient 3 doses of IV antihypertensives, their blood pressure is 169/99. What can the nurse anticipate starting at this time?
Magnesium Sulfate IV and betamethasone IM injection