Diagnosis of Eclampsia
Pregnancy may be complicated by diseases like epilepsy, hysteria, cerebral tumours, meningitis and other diseases which give rise to convulsions. These have to be borne in mind in the differential diagnosis of eclampsia. However, when in a pregnant woman with no history of pre−existing convulsive disorders, fits occur in association with proteinuria, hypertension and oedema, the diagnosis would obviously be eclampsia.
It is at times difficult to distinguish between postpartum eclampsia and postpartum cerebral venuous thrombosis in which also convulsions occur. The latter condition usually occurs later in the puerperium, commonly after the fourth day, while postpartum eclampsia is rare after the first 48−72 hours. A history of pre−eclampsia prior to delivery would point towards eclampsia. Sometimes a lumbar puncture helps in differentiation.
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