Early and Late Complications in Pregnancy Flashcards
What is the minimum Hb required in the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy?
Minimum of 110 g/dl
What is the minimum Hb requirement in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy?
Minimum of 105 g/dl
What are the symptoms, investigations and treatments for anaemia in pregnancy?
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Symptoms:
- Tired / exhausted
- Palpitations
- Breathlessness
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Investigations:
- FBC
- Ferritin
- Folic acid
- Vit B12 levels
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Treatment:
- Oral / injectable iron and/or
- Vit B12 and/or
- Folic acid
What are the physiological changes in pregnancy of the urogenital tract?
- Bladder volume increases and detrusor tone decreases.
- 90% of pregnant women develop ureteric dilation as the result of a combination of progestogenic relaxation of ureteric smooth muscle and pressure from the expanding uterus.
- Relative sparing of the left ureter because of protection from the sigmoid colon and upper rectum.
- The net effect - increased urinary stasis, compromised ureteric valves and vesicoureteric reflux.
- Facilitates bacterial colonisation and ascending infection.
Describe UTIs in pregnancy.
- Can be asymptomatic or symptomatic.
- Mid-stream sample (MSU) is sent for culture and sensitivity (C/S) at booking.
- In pregnancy overall incidence of UTI is approximately 8%.
- The incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women is 2-5%.
- E. coli accounts for 80-90% of infections.
What are the secondary concerns associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria?
What is the treatment?
- Preterm delivery and low birthweight
- Increased risks of pre-eclampsia
- Anaemia
- Chorioamnionitis
- Postpartum endometritis
- Fetal growth restriction
- Tratment - appropriate ABx for 7 days based on C/S.
What are the symptoms and treatment for acute cystities?
How is it associated with pregnancy?
- Affects ~1% of all pregnant women.
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Symptoms:
- Dysuria
- Frequency
- Urgency
- Suprapubic pain in the absence of systemic illness
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Treatment:
- Hydration
- Antibiotics
Describe pyelonephritis, its symptoms, investigation and treatment.
How common is it in pregnancy?
- Serious type of urinary infection in pregnancy.
- Occurs in 2% of pregnant women.
- 90% of antepartum cases occur in the last 2 trimesters.
- It represents infection of a renal papilla, which if untreated can spread to multiple papillae and occasionally to the renal cortex. Untreated - can completely destroy the kidney.
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Symptoms:
- Sepsis (tachycardia, tachyapnoea, pyrexia)
- Loin pain
- Urinary symptoms
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Investigations:
- MSU
- USS of the renal tract
- FBC
- Renal function tests
- Blood cultures
- CRP
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Treatment:
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ABx for 10-14 days.
- Trimethoprim, co-amoxiclav or gentamycin based on what it thought to be causing the infection.
- Based on the culture decide length of course of Abx.
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ABx for 10-14 days.
What are the risks associated with recurrent urinary infections in pregnancy?
What should be done for these patients?
- Urinary infection recurs in 4-5% of pregnancies.
- The risks of developing pyelonephritis and its potential consequences are the same as for the primary infection.
- Urinary tract anomalies must be excluded by USS.
- Long-term, low-dose antimicrobial cover or single postcoital doses have been advocated for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Describe hyperemesis gravidarum.
- Extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
- It can lead to dehydration, weight loss and electrolyte imbalances.
- Look for ketones in the urunie = complete dehydration. Can be given anti-emetics as well as IV fluids.
- Morning sickness is mild nausea and vomiting that occurs in early pregnancy.
- Common during first 3 months.
- Cause is not known, but is believed to be caused by a rapidly rising blood level of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), released by the placenta.
What are the risks for hyperemesis gravidarum?
- Twins
- Molar pregnancues
- Hx of hyperemesis in previous pregnancies or motion sickness
What is the appropriate management of hyperemesis gravidarum?
- Hydration
- Antiemetics
- Multivitamin supplements
- In severe cases, steroids can be used
- It can cause weight loss of more than 5% body weight
What are the causes of bleeding in early pregnancy?
- Implantation bleeding (physiological)
- when burrowing into the uterine muscle - if there is not much pain and bleeding for only 2-3 days.
- Miscarriage
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Cervical causes - ectropion / polyp, rarely cancer
- Molar pregnancy
What is miscarriage?
Describe its symptoms and causes.
- Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 22 weeks.
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Symptoms and signs:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Cramping and pain in the lower abdomen
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Causes:
- Unknown
- Chromosomal (most common - it is a healthy thing to eliminate a pregnancy which would not have been viable).
- Placental problems
- Uterine anomalies
- Cervical incompetence
- Autoimmune conditions
- 1/8 pregnancies will end in miscarriage (15%)
What is a threatened miscarriage?
The pregnancy remains viable in spite of bleeding and cramping
What is a nonviable pregnancy?
Patient presents with pain but no bleeding. On the scan there is no fetal heart. This is a missed miscarriage.