6.) Diagnosis of early pregnancy

Question 1

What is the first clinical sign of early pregnancy ?

Answer 1

Amenorrhea

Question 2

How many days late menses should be before considering amenorrhea as an indicative of pregnancy ?

Answer 2

10 days or more

Question 3

Name 4 common symptoms in the early stages of pregnancy ?

Answer 3

• Nausea and vomiting (known as morning sickness)
• Fatigue
• Breast tenderness
• Polyuria.

Question 4

What does a pregnancy test detect ?

Answer 4

it detects the presence of HCG , a hormone primarily produced by the trophoblastic cells of the placenta , HCG stimulates the corpus luteum to continue producing progesterone.

Question 5

When is hCG detectable in serum ?

Answer 5

8-11 days post conception , and peaks around 8-10 weeks

Question 6

What do we check for in a urine pregnancy test?

Answer 6

HCG beta sub unit typically detects pregnancy around the time of a missed period.

Question 7

What do we check for in a blood serum pregnancy test?

Answer 7

Beta HCG sub unit , blood tests can detect pregnancy earlier and provide exact measurements of HCG levels.

Question 8

What is the best imaging technique to use ?

Answer 8

Transvaginal ultrasound

Question 9

When can FHR be detected on a transvaginal ultrasound ?

Answer 9

6 weeks

Question 10

When can the gestational sac be seen ?

Answer 10

4-5 weeks using a transvaginal ultrasound

Question 11

If pregnancy is not located within the uterus on an ultrasound despite a positive pregnancy test then what should we suspect ?

Answer 11

Ectopic pregnancy , or molar pregnancy where abnormal tissue grows in the uterus instead of a normal embryo

Question 12

What are the three main clinical signs of early pregnancy ?

Answer 12

1.) Chadwick sign : Increased blood flow causes the vagina and cervix to appear as bluish or purplish around the 4th week of pregnancy

2.) Goodells sign : softening of the cervix at 6-8 weeks gestation.

3.) Hegars sign : Softening of the lower uterine segment (cervical isthmus)