Hyperemesis Gravidarum Clinical Presentation

  • Author: Dotun A Ogunyemi, MD; Chief Editor: David Chelmow, MD   more...
 
Updated: Aug 16, 2011
 

History

  • The defining symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum are gastrointestinal in nature and include nausea and vomiting.
  • Other common symptoms include ptyalism (excessive salivation), fatigue, weakness, and dizziness.
  • Patients may experience the following:
    • Sleep disturbance
    • Hyperolfaction
    • Dysgeusia
    • Decreased gustatory discernment
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Irritability
    • Mood changes
    • Decreased concentration
  • When obtaining history from the patient, discuss present symptoms. Obtain information pertaining to the timing, onset, severity, pattern, and alleviating and exacerbating factors (eg, relationship to meals, medications, prenatal vitamins, stress, other triggers).
  • A thorough review of systems for any symptoms that might suggest other gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, and central nervous system disorders is vital.
  • Review past medical history, placing emphasis on past medical conditions, surgeries, medications, allergies, adverse drug reactions, family history, social history (including support system), employment, habits, and diet.
  • Obtaining a thorough gynecologic history of symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding or spotting, past pregnancies, past use of oral contraceptives, and response to oral contraceptives used, is important.
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Physical

  • The physical examination is usually unremarkable in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum.
  • The physical examination findings may be more helpful if the patient has unusual complaints suggestive of other disorders (eg, bleeding, abdominal pain).
  • Pay attention to the vital signs, including standing and lying blood pressure and pulse, volume status (eg, mucous membrane condition, skin turgor, neck veins, mental status), general appearance (eg, nutrition, weight), thyroid examination findings, abdominal examination findings, cardiac examination findings, and neurologic examination findings.
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Causes

In a review of 1,301 cases of hyperemesis gravidarum from Canada, Fell et al showed that medical complications of hyperthyroid disorders, psychiatric illness, previous molar disease, gastrointestinal disorders, pregestational diabetes, and asthma were significantly independent risk factors for hyperemesis gravidarum, whereas maternal smoking and maternal age older than 30 years decreased the risk. Pregnancies with female fetuses and multiple fetuses were also at increased risk.[32, 33]

In some studies, women from low to middle socioeconomic class, women with lower levels of education, women with previous pregnancies with nausea and vomiting, women in their first pregnancy, and women with previous intolerance to oral contraceptives more commonly experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is also more common with multiple-gestation pregnancies.

Other factors that have been proposed include ethnicity, occupational status, fetal anomalies, increased body weight, nausea and vomiting in a prior pregnancy, history of infertility, interpregnancy interval, corpus luteum in right ovary, and prior intolerance to oral contraceptives.

  • Risk factors for hyperemesis gravidarum may include the following:
    • Previous pregnancies with hyperemesis gravidarum
    • Greater body weight
    • Multiple gestations
    • Trophoblastic disease
    • Nulliparity
  • Cigarette smoking is associated with a decreased risk for hyperemesis gravidarum.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Dotun A Ogunyemi, MD  Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Residency Program Director, Clerkship Director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Dotun A Ogunyemi, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, American Medical Association, National Medical Association, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Alex Fong, MD  Staff Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Alex Fong, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Tiffany Chen Herrero, MD  Resident Physician, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Suzanne R Trupin, MD, FACOG  Clinical Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign; CEO and Owner, Women's Health Practice; CEO and Owner, Hada Cosmetic Medicine and Midwest Surgical Center

Suzanne R Trupin, MD, FACOG is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, American Medical Association, Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, International Society for Clinical Densitometry, and North American Menopause Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Richard S Legro, MD  Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Milton S Hershey Medical Center

Richard S Legro, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Endocrine Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society of Reproductive Surgeons

Disclosure: Korea National Institute of Health and National Institute of Health (Bethesda, MD) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Greater Toronto Area Reproductive Medicine Society (Toronto, ON, CA) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (Washington, DC) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Research Think Tank Panel (Bethesda, MD) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; University of Illinois (Chicago, IL) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Georgetown University Hospital (Washington, DC) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Heilongjiang University (Harbin, China) Speaking and teaching; New England Fertility Society (Nashua, NJ) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; William Beaumont Hospital Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (Detroit, MI) Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit MI) Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Frederick B Gaupp, MD  Consulting Staff, Department of Family Practice, Hancock Medical Center

Frederick B Gaupp, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

David Chelmow, MD  Leo J Dunn Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center

David Chelmow, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Massachusetts Medical Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Society for Gynecologic Investigation, and Society for Medical Decision Making

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Giulia A Michelini, MD to the development and writing of this article.

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