Complications of Pregnancy Flashcards
Abortion or spontaneous miscarriage
Termination of loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks gestation
What is the incidence of spontaneous miscarriage?
About 15%
What are the types of spontaneous miscarriage?
- Threatened
- Inevitable
- Incomplete
- Complete
- Septic
- Missed
What is a threatened miscarriage?
Refers to bleeding from the gravid uterus before 24 weeks gestation when there is a viable foetus and no evidence of cervical dilatation
When does abortion in miscarriage become inevitable?
When the cervix begins to dilate
What is an incomplete miscarriage?
Only partial expulsion of the products of conception
What is a complete miscarriage?
When all products of conception are expelled
What is a septic miscarriage?
Ascending infection into the uterus which can spread throughout the pelvis
What is a risk factor for septic miscarriage?
Incomplete miscarriage
What is a missed miscarriage?
A pregnancy in which the foetus has died but the uterus has made no attempt to expel the products of conception
How does a threatened miscarriage present?
- Vaginal bleeding +/-pain
- Viable pregnancy
- Closed cervix on speculum examination
How does an inevitable miscarriage present?
- Viable pregnancy
- Open cervix with bleeding that could be heavy (+/-clots)
How does a missed miscarriage present?
- May have no symptoms of could have bleeding/brown loss vaginally
- Gestation sac is seen on scan
- No clear foetus (empty gestational sac) or a foetal pole with no foetal heart seen on the scan
How does an incomplete miscarriage present?
- Most of pregnancy expelled out, some products of the pregnancy remain in the uterus
- Open cervix and vaginal bleeding (may be heavy)
How does a complete miscarriage present?
- Passed all products of conception (POC)
- Cervix closed and bleeding has stopped (should ideally have confirmed that the POC or should have had a scan that confirmed an intrauterine pregnancy)
How does a septic miscarriage present?
With symptoms of infection secondary to miscarriage
What is the aetiology of spontaneous miscarriage?
- Abnormal conceptus (chromosomal, genetic, structural)
- Uterine abnormality (congenital, fibroids)
- Cervical incompetence (Primary (congenital), secondary (iatrogenic))
- Maternal (increasing age, diabetes)
- Unknown
How are threatened miscarriages managed?
Conservatively
How are inevitable miscarriages managed?
If bleeding is heavy may need evacuation
How are missed miscarriages managed?
- Conservative
- Medically with prostaglandins (misoprostol)
- Surgical management of miscarriage
How are septic miscarriages managed?
Antibiotics and evacuate uterus
What is an ectopic pregnancy?
Pregnancy which implants outside the uterine cavity
Give examples of sites of miscarriage?
- Ampulla of fallopian tube (most common)
- Isthmus of fallopian tube
- Interstium of fallopian tube
- Ovary (rare)
What is the incidence of ectopic pregnancy?
1 in 90 pregnancies
What are the risk factors for ectopic pregnancy?
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Previous tubal surgery
- previous ectopic surgery
- Assisted conception
How do ectopic pregnancies present?
-Period of ammenorhoea (with +ve urine pregnancy test)
+/- Vaginal bleeding
+/- Pain abdomen
+/- GI or urinary symptoms
How are ectopic pregnancies investigated?
Scan – no intrauterine gestational sac, may see adnexal mass, fluid in Pouch of Douglas
Serum BHCG levels – may need to serially track levels over 48 hour intervals- if a normal early intrauterine pregnancy HCG levels will increase by at least 66%ish
Serum Progesterone levels – with viable IU pregnancy high levels > 25ng/ml
How are ectopic pregnancies managed?
- Methotrexate
- Surgical salpingectomy or salpingotomy
- Conservative
What is an antepartum haemorrhage?
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
- APH of unknown origin
- Local lesions of the genital tract
- Vasa praevia (very rare)
What is placenta praevia?
All or part of the placenta implants in the lower uterine segment
What is the incidence of placenta praevia?
1 in 200 pregnancies
Who is placenta praevia more common in?
- Multiparous women
- Multiple pregnancies
- Previous C section
What are the classifications of placenta praevia?
Grade I Placenta encroaching on the lower segment but not the internal cervical os
Grade II Placenta reaches the internal os
Grade III Placenta eccentrically covers the os
Grade IV Central placenta praevia
How does placenta praevia present?
- Painless PV bleed
- Malpresentation of the foetus
- Incidental on US
What are the clinical features of placenta praevia?
- Maternal condition correlates with amount of bleeding PV
- Soft, non tender uterus +/- fetal malpresentation
How is placenta praevia diagnosed?
-USS
VAGINAL EXAMINATION MUST NOT BE DONE
How is placenta praevia diagnosed?
- Depends on severity and gestation
- Mother admitted to hospital and attempts made to allow for maturation of the foetus
- Delivered by C section
- Mother may require blood transfusion
What is there a risk of following delivery with placenta praevia?
PPH
How is PPH managed?
Medical
-Oxytocin, ergometrine, carbaprost, tranexamic acid
Balloon tamponade
Surgical
-Blynch cutre, ligation of the uterine and iliac vessels, hyserterectomy
What is placental abruption?
Haemorrhage resulting from premature separation of the placenta before the birth of the baby?
What is the incidence of placental abruption?
0.6% of all pregnancies
What factors are associated with placental abruption?
- Pre-eclampsia/ chronic hypertension
- Multiple pregnancy
- Polyhydramnios
- Smoking, increasing age, parity
- Previous abruption
- Cocaine use