A pregnant woman came to clinic several  weeks agp. It was her first time at our clinic. She did not have a chart and no one knew who she was. She passed out outside the clinic gate. She was carried into clinic on a stretcher. There was a man with her who knew very little about her. And the patient was unable to speak. We did not know how many weeks pregnant she was. The man with her said she came to clinic because she had a headache. He did not think that she had received any pre natal care. The women had elevated blood pressure (180/120) and edema of her legs. So she was pre eclamptic at a minimum but likely eclamptic. She then had a seizure, confirming suspected eclampsia. Eclampsia is a medical emergency where both mother and baby may die. The mortality rate for eclampsia in the United States is between 5.6 and 11.8%. The patient was stabilized and then taken to the closest hospital that could perform a c-section. Patients with ecalmpsia need to deliver their baby as quickly as possible as part of the treatment for eclampsia and also to prevent harm to the baby.

We later heard that the baby was delivered by c-section and both mom and baby lived. To God be all the glory. This patient is extremely fortunate as many hospitals are operating with limited function due to gang violence and loss of staff. Physicians are often not able to get to the hospital they work because they must pass through a gang controlled area. And many trained medical personnel have immigrated to other countries to escape the gang violence.