Point-of-care Ultrasound Abnormalities in Eclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) and eclampsia remain leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, in both high-, low-and-middle-income countries. Preeclampsia is a complex, multisystem disease which, in its severe form, affects the cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neurological and haematological systems. Given the complexity of the disease, anaesthesia management for caesarean section in these patients remains challenging. Preeclampsia may be complicated by the development of eclampsia, which involves one or more seizures, which complicates anaesthesia and obstetrics management, and requires. urgent admission and delivery. Recent studies have demonstrated novel markers of severity of PE, including point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), acid-base changes secondary to low serum albumin, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). POCUS is playing an increasing role in perioperative diagnosis, and newer, less expensive devices are continuously being developed. These will in all likelihood play an important role in South Africa in the near future. In a recent trial performed at the University of Cape Town, a comprehensive acid-base analysis in women with PE with severe features demonstrated significant abnormalities in independent acid-base determinants. In addition, strong indications were found that changes in acid-base status following a decrease in serum albumin are more pronounced in early onset PE and may be associated with urgent delivery. In other clinical arenas in critically ill patients, low serum albumin is associated with increased lung water, increased intracranial pressure, and outcome. The research team hypothesised that similar associations might be found in women with late onset preeclampsia with severe features. Using POCUS, it was found that there was no association between serum albumin level and PIS or optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD). PIS was however associated with cardiac dysfunction, as was BNP.