A 27-year-old woman delivered vaginally at 36 weeks for severe pre-eclampsia. On postpartum day 3, she develops severe headache and tonic-clonic seizures. Which statement about postpartum eclampsia is correct?

• A Postpartum eclampsia is defined as seizures occurring after 48 hours of delivery only
• B Magnesium sulfate is indicated for seizure prophylaxis in this patient ✓
• C Eclampsia after 48 hours postpartum is rare and always indicates an underlying structural brain lesion
• D Postpartum eclampsia occurs in fewer than 5% of all eclampsia cases

Explanation

Postpartum eclampsia accounts for approximately 25% of all eclampsia cases and can occur up to 4 weeks postpartum. Magnesium sulfate remains the treatment of choice for eclamptic seizures regardless of timing. The 48-hour cutoff is arbitrary; eclampsia can occur later. While structural lesions should be considered, eclampsia itself is a recognized postpartum complication and does not always indicate another pathology.

Reference: Williams Obstetrics, 26th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.