Question

A 23-year-old woman, who is 24 weeks pregnant with her first baby, complains of edema to her hands, a headache, and visual disturbances. When you assess her vital signs, you note that her blood pressure is 160/94 mm Hg. She is MOST likely experiencing:

A. eclampsia.
B. preeclampsia.
C. a hypertensive crisis.
D. chronic water retention.

Answer 1

The pregnant woman with symptoms of edema, headache, visual disturbances, and high blood pressure is most likely experiencing preeclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems during pregnancy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 23-year-old pregnant woman showing signs of edema, a headache, visual disturbances, and a recorded high blood pressure of 160/94 mm Hg is most likely experiencing preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. It typically occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal. The symptoms this patient is experiencing, alongside the elevated blood pressure, fit the diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia.

Eclampsia is a severe complication of preeclampsia and includes the development of seizures, which the patient has not been described as having. A hypertensive crisis is a sudden spike in blood pressure that can lead to stroke, heart attack, or other complications, but without the presence of other symptoms of preeclampsia, it would not be the most likely diagnosis. Chronic water retention could explain the edema but would not account for the high blood pressure and other symptoms.