Complications in Pregnancy Flashcards
What is abortion or spontaneous miscarriage?
Termination/loss of pregnancy before 24weeks gestation with no evidence of life.
What is a threatened miscarriage?
Bleeding from the gravid uterus before 24 weeks gestation when there is a viable foetus an no evidence of cervical dilation.
What is incomplete miscarriage?
When there is only partial expulsion of the products of conception.
What is a complete abortion?
When there is complete expulsion of the products of conception.
What is a septic abortion?
Following an incomplete abortion there is risk of ascending infection into the uterus which can spread throughout pelvis.
What is a missed abortion?
A pregnancy in which the foetus has died but the uterus has made no attempt to expel the products of conception.
What are some symptoms of a threatened miscarriage?
Vaginal Bleeding
Sometimes Pain
Viable pregnancy
Closed cervix
What are some symptoms of inevitable miscarriage?
Viable pregnancy
Open cervix
Vaginal bleeding - could be quite heavy
Potential clots
What are some symptoms of missed miscarriage?
Asymptomatic
Vaginal bleeding
Brown sludgy loss
Empty gestational sac seen on scan or a foetal pole with no foetal heart seen.
What are some causes of spontaneous miscarriage?
- Abnormal chormosomal, genetic or structural make-up of foetus
- Congenital uterine abnormalities
- Fibroids
- Cervical incompetence
- Maternal problems
- Idiopathic
What are some examples of maternal diseases that may be associated with increasing the risk of spontaneous miscarriage?
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Thyroid disease
Acute maternal infection e.g pyelitis, appendicitis
What is the management method for the various types of miscarriage/abortion?
Threatened - conservative
Inevitable - evacuation if heavy bleeding.
Missed - conservative, medical = prostaglandins (misoprostol), surgical
Septic - antibiotics and evacuate uterus
What is ectopic pregnancy?
Pregnancy implanted outside the uterine cavity.
What are the risk factors for Ectopic pregnancy?
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Previous tubal surgery
Previous ectopic
Assisted conception
What is the incidence of ectopic pregnancies?
Around 1:90 pregnancies
How does an ectopic pregnancy present?
Period of ammenorhoea Positive urine pregnancy test Possible Vaginal bleeding Possible painful abdomen Possible GI or urinary symptoms
What investigations would you carry out for a suspected ectopic pregnancy?
USS - no intrauterine gestational sac, fluid in pouch of Douglas, may see adnexal mass.
Serum BhCG levels - may need to track over 48hrs.
Serum progesterone level - viable intrauterine pregnancies are high >25ng/ml
What is the management for an ectopic pregnancy?
Medical - methotrexate
Surgical - mostly done laporscopically; salpingectomy, salpingotomy
Conservative
What is Antepartum Haemorrhage (APH)?
Haemorrhage from the genital tract after the 24th week of pregnancy but before delivery of the baby.
What are some causes of Antepartum Haemorrhage?
Placenta praevia Placental abruption Idiopathic Local lesions of genital tract Vasa praevia
What is Placenta Praevia?
All or part of the placenta implants in the lower uterine segment.
Can lie in front of the presenting part of foetus.
Incidence is 1:200 pregnancies.
When in Placenta Praevia more common
Multiparous women
Multiple pregnancies
Previous Caesarean section
What is the classification system for Placenta Praevia?
Grade 1 - Placenta encroaching on the lower segment but not the internal cervical os.
Grade 2 - Placenta reaches the internal os.
Grade 3 - Placenta eccentrically covers the os.
Grade 4 - Central placenta praevia.