HELLP Syndrome

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the medical condition called HELLP syndrome, which stands for hemolysis elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. Closely related to pre-eclampsia, HELLP is a multi-system disease of pregnancy. The paper explains that women suffering from HELLP -- which occurs in approximately 1-5 percent of all pregnancies -- is associated with symptoms like high blood pressure, protein in the urine, swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches, vision problem, and increased perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. The paper offers a thorough overview of the pathology of HELLP, explores prevention and treatment options, and discusses medical outcomes for pregnant women suffering from the syndrome. The paper also provides some case studies in order to personalize and dramatize its thesis.

From the Paper:

"Pregnant women with HELLP usually complain of fatigue, general malaise, pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, headaches and water retention with weight gain (Chen 2001). Some have convulsions. The HELLP syndrome's symptoms mimic those of ailments, which make HELLP hard to diagnose. These ailments include the flu, systemic lupus erythemetous or SLE, acute fatty liver of pregnancy AFL, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or TTP and other collagen vascular diseases."

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