A nurse is caring for a pregnant client who is hypertensive. Which additional clinical manifestations leads the nurse to believe that the client is experiencing early preeclampsia?
A) Persistent headache
B) Excessive protein in the urine
C) Right-sided abdominal pain
D) Severe epigastric pain
Answer: B
Early signs of preeclampsia include high blood pressure and evidence of protein in the urine. Later symptoms include persistent headache and right-sided abdominal pain. Severe epigastric pain is a symptom of HELLP syndrome. The characteristics of HELLP are hemolysis (H), elevated liver enzymes (EL), and low platelet count (LP). The most common reasons for critical illness and death related to eclampsia are stroke or rupture of the mother's liver.
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