Eclampsia is best described as what?

• A. Severe hypertension
• B. Placental abruption
• C. Seizures due to preeclampsia
• D. Uterine rupture

Answer: (C)

Eclampsia is the occurrence of seizures in a pregnant or postpartum person whose condition includes preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is new-onset hypertension after about 20 weeks gestation, often with protein in the urine or signs of organ dysfunction. The defining feature of eclampsia is the development of convulsions or seizures, not just high blood pressure or unrelated obstetric emergencies. In other words, seizures in the setting of preeclampsia indicate eclampsia.

Understanding this helps you recognize why the other options aren’t the correct description: severe hypertension alone is dangerous and common in preeclampsia, but it doesn’t by itself describe the seizure aspect; placental abruption and uterine rupture are distinct obstetric emergencies with their own presentations and causes, not the seizure-driven complication that characterizes eclampsia. In practice, this condition requires rapid stabilization of the patient and seizure control (often with magnesium sulfate) and expedited delivery when feasible.