What is "eclampsia"

Eclampsia \Ec*lamp"si*a\, n. [NL., from Gr. ? a shining forth, fr. ? to shine forth; ? out + ? to shine.] (Med.) A fancied perception of flashes of light, a symptom of epilepsy; hence, epilepsy itself; convulsions.

Note: The term is generally restricted to a convulsive affection attending pregnancy and parturition, and to infantile convulsions. [1913 Webster] ||

1866, from Modern Latin, from Greek eklampsis "a shining forth, exceeding brightness," from ek- "out" (see ex-) + stem of lampein "to shine" (see lamp) + abstract noun ending -ia.

n. (lb en pathology) A complication of (l en pregnancy) characterized by convulsions and coma.

n. a toxic condition characterized by convulsions and possibly coma during or immediately after pregnancy

Eclampsia is the onset of seizures (convulsions) in a woman with pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy in which there is high blood pressure and either large amounts of protein in the urine or other organ dysfunction. Onset may be before, during, or after delivery. Most often it is during the second half of pregnancy. The seizures are of the tonic–clonic type and typically last about a minute. Following the seizure there is typically either a period of confusion or coma. Complications include aspiration pneumonia, cerebral hemorrhage, kidney failure, and cardiac arrest. Preeclampsia and eclampsia are part of a larger group of conditions known as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Recommendations for prevention include aspirin in those at high risk, calcium supplementation in areas with low intake, and treatment of prior hypertension with medications. Exercise during pregnancy may also be useful. The use of intravenous or intramuscular magnesium sulfate improves outcomes in those with eclampsia and is generally safe. This is true in both the developed and developing world. Breathing may need to be supported. Other treatments may include blood pressure medications such as hydralazine and emergency delivery of the baby either vaginally or by cesarean section.

Pre-eclampsia is estimated to affect about 5% of deliveries while eclampsia affects about 1.4% of deliveries. In the developed world rates are about 1 in 2,000 deliveries due to improved medical care. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are one of the most common causes of death in pregnancy. They resulted in 29,000 deaths in 2013 – down from 37,000 deaths in 1990. Around one percent of women with eclampsia die. The word eclampsia is from the Greek term for lightning. The first known description of the condition was by Hippocrates in the 5th century BCE.