Diagnostic Criteria and Investigations
Diagnostic Criteria and Investigations
The diagnosis of pre-eclampsia is based on clinical findings of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation or during the postpartum period in a previously normotensive client. The diagnosis of eclampsia is based on clinical findings of seizures in a client with pre-eclampsia.
Some investigations that may be performed to confirm the diagnosis and assess the severity of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia include:
Blood Tests
To evaluate renal function:
- Serum creatinine
- Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
To evaluate liver function:
- AST
- ALT
To evaluate hematologic function:
- Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
- Platelet count
- LDH
To evaluate coagulation function:
- Prothrombin time (PT)
- Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
- Fibrinogen
To evaluate electrolyte balance:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Chloride
- Bicarbonate
Urine Tests
To quantify proteinuria:
- 24-hour urine collection for protein excretion
- Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio
To detect hematuria:
- Urinalysis with microscopic examination
Imaging Tests
To assess fetal well-being:
- Ultrasound for fetal growth, amniotic fluid volume, placental location, umbilical artery Doppler flow
- Non-stress test (NST) for fetal heart rate reactivity
- Biophysical profile (BPP) for fetal movement, tone, breathing, heart rate reactivity, amniotic fluid volume
To assess maternal cerebral edema:
- Computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the head
Nursing Test Bank
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