The perinatal nurse knows that the term to describe a woman at 26 weeks' gestation with a history of elevated blood pressure who presents with a urine showing 2+ protein (by dipstick) is:

Question

a. Preeclampsia
b. Chronic hypertension
c. Gestational hypertension
d. Chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia

Answer 1

ANS: d
Feedback
a. Preeclampsia is a multisystem, vasopressive disease process that targets the cardiovascular, hematologic, hepatic, and renal and central nervous systems.
b. Chronic hypertension is hypertension that is present and observable prior to pregnancy or hypertension that is diagnosed before the 20th week of gestation.
c. Gestational hypertension is a nonspecific term used to describe the woman who has a blood pressure elevation detected for the first time during pregnancy, without proteinuria.
d. The following criteria are necessary to establish a diagnosis of superimposed preeclampsia: hypertension and no proteinuria early in pregnancy (prior to 20 weeks' gestation) and new-onset proteinuria, a sudden increase in protein—urinary excretion of 0.3 g protein or more in a 24-hour specimen, or two dipstick test results of 2+ (100 mg/dL), with the values recorded at least 4 hours apart, with no evidence of urinary tract infection; a sudden increase in blood pressure in a woman whose blood pressure has been well controlled; thrombocytopenia (platelet count lower than 100,000/mmC); and an increase in the liver enzymes alanine transaminase (ALT) or aspartate transaminase (AST) to abnormal levels.