Overview
Introduction
A patient receiving fertility treatment can become dangerously volume depleted even while gaining weight and accumulating abdominal fluid.
A patient receiving fertility treatment can become dangerously volume depleted even while gaining weight and accumulating abdominal fluid. That paradox is the central safety problem in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The syndrome follows ovarian stimulation, most often after exposure to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and ranges from mild bloating to respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, thromboembolism, or abdominal compartment syndrome. The practical nurse recognizes changes, obtains ordered measurements, documents trends, reinforces instructions, and promptly reports deterioration; diagnosis and independent treatment decisions remain with the authorized prescriber and interprofessional team.