Book - Chapter 11 and 12 Flashcards
(80 cards)
The time period of pregnancy is divided into ______ trimester which are how long?
3 trimesters, each is 13 weeks long
What are the three categories of signs and symptoms of pregnancy?
1) presumptive
2) probable
3) positive
What are the only signs that can with 100% accuracy determine pregnancy? what is the least reliable category of signs?
positive signs = 100%
presumptive/subjective = least reliable
What is the basic definition of presumptive signs?
the signs that the mother can perceive (subjective)
What’s the most obvious presumptive sign?
absence of menstruation
While absence of menstruation on its own is not necessarily a sign of pregnancy, what symptoms would make it more likely a sign of pregnancy?
consistent nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness, and urinary frequency
What’s the basic definition of probable signs?
signs that can be detected on physical examination (objective)
Name all the probable signs, describe what they are, and state their time of occurence
- Braxton Hicks contractions (16-28 weeks): irregular, painless contractions beginning during 1st trimester
- Positive pregnancy test (4-12 weeks)
- Abdominal enlargement (14 weeks)
- Ballottement (16-28 weeks): examiner pushes against woman’s cervix during pelvix exam and feels rebound from floating fetus
- Goodell’s sign (5 weeks): softening of the cervix due to vasocongestion
- Chadwick’s sign (6-8 weeks): bluish-purple coloration of the vaginal mucous and cervix caused by vascularization
- Hegar’s sign (6-12 weeks): softening of the lower uterine segment or isthmus
What are the three types of pregnancy tests? Name specimen sampled by test and examples
- Agglutination inhibition tests: tests urine (Pregnosticon, Gravindex)
- Immunoradiometric assay: tests blood serum (Neocept, Pregnosis)
- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): tests blood serum or urine (OTC
What’s the most precise pregnancy test to use? Why?
ELISA, reliable 4 days after implantation and 99% accurate
What are the time frames/accuracy rates for agglutination ihibition and immunoradiometric pregnancy tests?
agglutination: 14-21 days after conception, 95% accurate
immuno: 6-8 days after conception, 99% accurate
Why is the 99% accuracy on pregnancy tests misleading?
- has no bearing on test to detect early pregnancy as only 5% of clients have detectable hCG 8 days after conception
(basically the book’s being confusing)
hCG is a _______protein
glyco
When does hCG peak?
60-70 days after fertilization
What is the doubling time of hCG? How do clinicians use this?
doubling time: 48-72 hours
- used as a marker to differentiate between normal and abnormal gestations where low levels of hCG = ectopic pregnancy and high levels of hCG = possible molar pregnancy or multiple gestational pregnancies
what does the elevation of hCG correspond to?
the morning sickness period between 6-12 weeks during early pregnancy
What are the positive signs of pregnancy and what’s their time of occurence?
1) ultrasound verification of embryo or fetus (4-6 weeks)
2) fetal movement felt by experienced clinician (20 weeks)
3) auscultation of fetal heart tones via Doppler (10-12 weeks)
Which hormone stimulates uterine growth in the first few months of pregnancy?
estrogen
What are the measurements for uterine growth during pregnancy?
weight: 70g to 1100/1200g
capacity: from 10 to 5000 mL
- uterine wall thins to 1.5 cm or less
Uterine growth results from an initial ________ of the myometrium then progresses to __________. Which one causes more growth?
starts of with hyperplasia then hypertrophies, hypertrophy cause for most growth
what’s the function of Braxton Hicks contractions in the last onth of pregnancy?
to thin out or efface the cervix before birth
What’s the name of the lower part of the uterus? What structural changes does it undergo during pregnancy? what sign is this responsible for?
isthmus: doesn’t undergo hypertrophy and becomes increasingly thin; during first 6-8 weeks causes a positive Hegar’s sign
Why does urinary frequency often accompany pregnancy especially after 3 months?
after 3 months, uterus acends into abdoment and its growth presses on urinary bladder
What’s a worry during the last trimester related to the size/placement of the uterus?
supine hypotensive syndrome: uterus can fall back against the vena cava in supine position and compress it and cause orthostatic hypotension