Key Concepts
Overview
HELLP syndrome ties high-yield nursing judgment to airway, perfusion, infection control, and safe medication administration. HELLP is a severe variant of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy spectrum: Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets. Microangiopathic hemolysis fragments red cells (schistocytes on smear when shown), hepatic sinusoidal injury drives transaminase elevations, and consumptive thrombocytopenia raises bleeding risk for delivery, regional anesthesia, and hepatic hematoma or rupture. Clinical overlap with acute fatty liver of pregnancy, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome appears in advanced items—nursing anchors on pregnancy timing, BP, RUQ/epigastric pain, nausea, headache, visual changes, and fetal status while the team differentiates. Management is obstetric–critical care partnership: magnesium sulfate for seizure prophylaxis when indicated, blood pressure control per protocol, platelet support when counts threaten hemostasis, and delivery timing as definitive therapy in many cases. Nurses trend labs on a tight schedule, watch for DIC, pulmonary edema, and renal injury, and avoid antiplatelet procedures (e.g., epidural) when platelets are below institutional thresholds. Cross-link US RN lessons hub · Canada RN lessons hub and related LESSON cards where the stem crosses...