Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that results in dehydration, weight loss, and ketosis. Diagnosis is clinical and by measurement of urine ketones, serum electrolytes, and renal function. Treatment is with temporary suspension of oral intake and with IV fluids, antiemetics if needed, and vitamin and electrolyte repletion.
(See also Nausea and Vomiting During Early Pregnancy.)
Pregnancy frequently causes nausea and vomiting; the cause appears to be rapidly increasing levels of estrogens
Hyperemesis gravidarum is an extreme form of normal nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It can be distinguished because it causes the following:
Weight loss (> 5% of weight)
Dehydration
Ketosis
Electrolyte abnormalities (in many women)
As dehydration progresses, it can cause tachycardia and hypotension.
Hyperemesis gravidarum may cause mild, transient hyperthyroidism. Hyperemesis gravidarum that persists past 16 to 18 weeks is uncommon but may seriously damage the liver, causing severe centrilobular necrosis or widespread fatty degeneration, and may cause Wernicke encephalopathy or esophageal rupture.
Diagnosis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Sometimes serial weight measurements
Urine ketones
Serum electrolytes and renal function tests
Clinicians suspect hyperemesis gravidarum based on symptoms (eg, onset, duration, and frequency of vomiting; exacerbating and relieving factors; type and amount of emesis). Serial weight measurements can support the diagnosis.
hydatidiform mole and check for multiple gestation.
Differential diagnosis
Other disorders that can cause vomiting must be excluded; they include gastroenteritis, hepatitis, appendicitis, cholecystitis, other biliary tract disorders, peptic ulcer disease, intestinal obstruction, hyperthyroidism not caused by hyperemesis gravidarum (eg, caused by Graves disease), gestational trophoblastic disease, nephrolithiasis, pyelonephritis, diabetic ketoacidosis or gastroparesis, benign intracranial hypertension, and migraine headaches.
Prominent symptoms in addition to nausea and vomiting often suggest another cause.
Tests for alternative diagnoses are done based on laboratory, clinical, or ultrasound findings.
Treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Temporary suspension of oral intake, followed by gradual resumption
Fluids, thiamin, multivitamins, and electrolytes as needed
Antiemetics if needed
Rarely, total parenteral nutrition
At first, patients are given nothing by mouth. Initial treatment is IV fluid resuscitation, beginning with 2 L of Ringer's lactate infused over 3 hours to maintain a urine output of > 100 mL/hour (1
Subsequent fluid requirements vary with patient response but may be as much as 1 L every 4 hours or so for up to 3 days.
Electrolyte deficiencies are treated; potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus are replaced as needed. Care must be taken not to correct low plasma sodium levels too quickly because too rapid correction can cause osmotic demyelination syndrome.
Vomiting that persists after initial fluid and electrolyte replacement is treated with antiemetics and other medications taken as needed:
Vitamin B6 10 to 25 mg orally every 8 hours or every 6 hours
After dehydration and acute vomiting resolve, small amounts of oral fluids are given. Patients who cannot tolerate any oral fluids after IV rehydration and antiemetics may need to be hospitalized or given IV therapy at home and take nothing by mouth for a longer period (sometimes several days or more). Once patients tolerate fluids, they can eat small, bland meals, and diet is expanded as tolerated. IV vitamin therapy is required initially and until vitamins can be taken by mouth.
< 6 weeks and with extreme caution. They should not be used during fetal organogenesis (between 20 and 56 days after fertilization); use of these drugs during the first trimester is weakly associated with facial clefting. The mechanism for corticosteroids’ effect on nausea is unclear. In extreme cases, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) has been used, although its use is generally discouraged.
Rarely, progressive weight loss, jaundice, or persistent tachycardia may occur despite treatment. In such cases,termination of the pregnancy may be offered, if it is available.
Treatment reference
1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 189: Nausea And Vomiting Of Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;131(1):e15-e30. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000002456
Key Points
Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that, unlike morning sickness, can cause weight loss, ketosis, dehydration, and sometimes electrolyte abnormalities.
Exclude other disorders that can cause vomiting based on the woman's symptoms.
Determine severity by measuring serum electrolytes, urine ketones, BUN, creatinine, and body weight.
Suspend oral intake at first, give fluids and nutrients IV, restore oral intake gradually, and give antiemetics as needed.
