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| HELLP Syndrome |
HELLP syndrome can be life-threatening and usually occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
HELLP syndrome is an abbreviation of hemolysis (H) that is damage to red blood cells, Elevated liver enzymes (EL) is the increase of liver enzyme production due to liver cell disorders and Low Platelet (LP) is the platelet or platelet count is too low, thus disrupting the process of coagulation blood.
Recognize the Diverse Symptoms
Risk factors for pregnant women experience HELLP syndrome, which is over 34 years old, pregnant twins, or have families who have experienced HELLP syndrome.Especially if pregnant women suffer from certain medical conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease or blood coagulation.
In addition, 1 in 10 pregnant women with preeclampsia is at risk for HELLP syndrome.
Symptoms of HELLP syndrome somewhat vary in each person and not too specific, so sometimes difficult to do a diagnosis.
Symptoms that can arise such as fatigue, headache, abdominal pain especially the heartburn or upper right, nausea, vomiting during pregnancy.
Some other symptoms of HELLP syndrome include swelling in the hands, limbs, or face, excessive and sudden weight gain, spontaneous bleeding without triggering, indigestion, impaired vision, and pain when breathing is also felt.
Should consult a doctor immediately if pregnant women show these symptoms.
Handling HELLP Syndrome
If symptoms of HELLP syndrome are felt, it is important to consult a doctor immediately to get the right treatment.Generally, the doctor will perform a physical exam, the urine test to see leakage of protein, and blood tests to evaluate liver function and platelet count
In addition, there is a possibility of MRI to see the condition of health as a whole.
If the results of the examination indicate that you are suffering from HELLP syndrome, terminating a pregnancy with the consequences of premature delivery is one possible way to prevent serious complications that could harm the condition of the mother and baby.
However, if the gestational age is still less than 34 weeks, medical steps that will be done before the doctor decide termination of pregnancy done, including:
- Bed rest and hospitalization to keep the mother and fetus well monitored.
- Blood transfusion, in this case, platelet transfusion, for patients with HELLP syndrome with too low platelet counts and the risk of causing bleeding.
- Provision of corticosteroids to accelerate the maturation of the baby's lungs before birth in order to function properly after birth.
- Administration of magnesium sulfate to prevent eclampsia.
- Provision of blood pressure-lowering drugs.
- Monitoring and evaluation of possible fetal distress conditions.
If you have experienced HELLP syndrome, the risk of developing complications during pregnancy in the future will be higher. Make sure your doctor handles your entire medical history and your pregnancy.
HELLP syndrome is a dangerous condition for pregnant women and requires rapid treatment. Do not hesitate to immediately consult a doctor about any complaints that are felt during pregnancy.