Early pregnancy problems Flashcards
Name 4 conditions that can cause bleeding in early pregnancy
- Miscarriage
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Gestational trophoblastic disease
- Gynae infection
What is miscarriage?
Loss of an intrauterine pregnancy <24 weeks.
Early: <12 weeks.
Expulsion of foetus <500g <22 weeks
When does the majority of miscarriage occur? and what is the most common cause?
Early miscarriage
Genetic/chromosomal abnormalities
What advice would you give to women with threatened miscarriage?
If bleeding doesn’t stop for 14 days - seek help
If bleeding stops, continue antenatal care.
When is US/TVS used for diagnosis?
- If the gestational sac >/= 25mm without a cold sac present.
- Foetal pole with crown rump length >/=7 without evidence of heart activity
- seek second opinion on viability of pregnancy
- perform scan in 7 days
What would you do if gestational sac <25 on US?
Wait 7 days then re-measure before making a diagnosis
when is expectant management used to treat miscarriage?
First line for 7-14 days in women with a confirmed diagnosis
When do you not consider expectant management?
- high risk of bleeding (late miscarriage)
- infection
- previous traumatic pregnancy experience
- increased risk from the effects of haemorrhage
How long is conservative management continued for?
- as long as the women is willing
- As long as there are no signs of infection
usually takes 6-8 weeks
What is the medical management of miscarriage?
- Pain relief and anti-emetic
- inform about treatment + SE associated (diahroeaa, pain, N+V)
- return to doctor if experiencing worsening symptoms
- Take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after treatment commenced - if positive, return to Dr for review - potential ectopic/molar
- Mifepristone
When is mifepristone contraindicated? what do you offer instead.
Missed or incomplete miscarriage.
Offer oral/reftam misoprostol
How do you treat a missed/ incomplete miscarriage?
800 mg misoprostol + tell them to contact EPAU if bleeding doesn’t start in 24 hours
Offer antiemetic/Pain relief
What is the surgical management of miscarriage?
- Manual vacuum aspiration - local/GA
- SMOM - day case, FBC, G+S, anti-D, chlamydia screening
give prophylactic doxycycline 100 mg for 10 days + PR metronidazole1g
send products to histology to exclude molar pregnancy +
What are the complications of SMOM?
Infection haemorrhage uterine perforation intrauterine adhesions cervical tears intra-abdominal trauma
What minimises cervical + uterine trauma?
Administering prostaglandins
When would you give Anti-D in confirmed miscarriage?
- Any Rhesus -ve women that is not sensitised + miscarries after 12 weeks
- Any women who miscarries <12 weeks when the uterus is medically/surgically evacuated
What dose of anti-D do you give?
<12 weeks = 250iU
after 12 weeks = 500 iU
When would you give Anti-D in threatened miscarriage?
All non-sensitised women >12 weeks
When would you give Anti-D in confirmed ectopic?
ALL pregnant women with ectopic
Are hCG + TVS useful diagnostic tools in early pregnancy problems?
NO
What is threatened miscarriage?
Features: vaginal bleed, abdominal pain, foetus alive + heartbeat present. uterus size is normal.
only 1/4 miscarry
Cervical OS: Closed
What is inevitable miscarriage?
Features: vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain. No foetal heart beat.
all miscarry
Cervical OS: open
What is incomplete miscarriage?
Features: some foetal parts have passed, retains some products of conception, vaginal bleed and abdominal pain.
Cervical OS: open.
What is complete miscarriage?
Features: all foetal tissue passed, bleeding and pain resolved. uterus no longer enlarged. Serum hCG to exclude ectopic.
Cervical OS: closed
What is septic miscarriage?
Features: infected content –> endomemetritis. vaginal loss is offensive, uterus tender, +/- fever, pelvic infection.
Cervical OS: open/closed
What is missed miscarriage?
Features: Foetus not developed/died in utero. Asymptomatic, not recognised until bleeding occurs.
Cervical OS: closed
What is Recurrent miscarriage?
When miscarriage happens >3 x
What are the 10 causes of recurrent miscarriage?
- Age: Maternal age mainly >40, paternal age also.
- Anti-phospholipid syndrome: causes adverse pregnancy outcomes.
- Thrombophilia
- Genetic factors
- Cervical incompetence
- Infection
- Diabetes + thyroid
- Immune factors
- Uterine anomalies
- No cause found
What are the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with APS?
- 3+ miscarriages before 10 weeks of gestation
- 1+ morphologically normal foetal losses after 10 weeks of gestation
- 1+ preterm birth before 34 weeks due to placental abnormality
Name 3 APS antibodies
- lupus anticoagulant
- anticardioplin antibodies
- B2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies
Name Types of thrombophilia:
- protein C+S deficiency
- Factor 5 leiden
- PT gene mutation