Laboratory tests help your doctor determine if you have preeclampsia, or if your condition is getting worse. Urine and blood tests, for example, can detect abnormalities associated with severe preeclampsia, including:
- increased protein in the urine;
- elevated blood cell count (specifically, the hematocrit level);
- elevated blood levels of proteins (such as lactate dehydrogenase);
- elevated levels of transaminases;
- elevated uric acid levels;
- decreased blood platelet count; and
- alterations in blood clotting factors.
HELLP syndrome, a variant of severe preeclampsia, is a characterized by:
- hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells);
- elevated liver enzymes (indicative of liver damage); and
- low blood platelet levels (indicative of impaired blood clotting, which can cause problems during and after labor).
HELLP can alter liver and kidney function, and perhaps other complications.
Your treatment depends on your blood pressure levels, the extent of your symptoms, and how near to term you are. If you are diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, your doctor will likely induce labor immediately-this may reverse the damage to your organs.
