Obstetrics Flashcards
Nutritional supplements in pregnancy
Folic acid 400mcg from conception to 12 weeks, reduce risk of neural tube defects. Higher dose if on AEDs
No need for routine iron supplementation
Advise to take vitamin D 10mcg daily, especially if darker skin or skin mostly covered.
Food and drink to avoid in pregnancy
Avoid alcohol. Dose response, so if cutting down should be supported.
Avoid unpasteurized milk, ripened soft cheese (camembert, brie, blue cheese), pate or undercooked meat, due to risk of listeriosis
Avoid raw or partially cooked eggs and meat (esp poultry), due to risk of salmonella
Booking appointment what happens
8-12 weeks
General infor re diet, alcohol, smoking, folic acid, vitamin D, antenatal classes
BP, urine dipstick, check BMI
Bloods: FBC, blood group, rhesus status, red cell alloantibodies, haemoglobinopathies, hep B, syphilis, HIV offer
Urine culture for asymptomatic bacteriuria
What scan happens at 20 weeks
Anomaly scan
Features of placental abruption not placenta praevia
shock out of keeping with visible loss
Pain constant
Tender, tense uterus
Normal lie and presentation
Fetal heart absent or distressed
Coagulation problems
Beware pre eclampsia, DIC, anuria
Features of placenta praevia not abruption
shock in proportion to visible loss
No pain
Uterus not tender
Lie and presentation may be abnormal
Fetal heart usual normal
Coagulation problems rare
Small bleeds before large
Hepatitis B and pregnancy
all pregnany women screened
babies born to infected mothers should have complete course of vaccination and hep B immunoglobulin (0.5ml within 12 hours of birth)
Hep B cannot be transmitted via breastfeeding
breastfeeding and antiepileptics
generally considered safe, apart from taking barbiturates
Stage 1 labour
from inset of true labour to when cervix is fully dilated
Stage 2 labour
From full dilation to delivery of fetus
Stage 3 labour
from delivery of fetus to when place ta and membranes have been completely delivered
Signs of labour
regular and painful uterine contracts
A show (shedding of mucous plug)
Rupture of membranes
Shortening and dilation of the cervix
Potential complications of post-term pregnancy
Neonatal: Reduced placental perfusion, oligohydramnios
Maternal: Incr rate of intervention incl forcepts and CS, incr rate of labour induction
What not to use for third stage if maternal hypertension
Ergometrine
Common drugs you can’t take during pregnancy
Aspirin - found in breast milk so Reye’s syndrome
Codeine as excreted
Lithium, can be transferred and cause enal and thyroid dysfunction
naproxen, possibly incr risk of bleeding and thrombocytopenia
Features of obstetric cholestasis
Pruritus, may be intense and typically worse on palms, soles abdomen
Clinically detectable jaundice only in 20%, but raised bilirubin in >90% of cases
Management of obstetric cholestasis
induction of labour at 37-38 weeks commonly occurs but isn’t really evidence based
Ursodeoxycholic acid widely used but evidence base limited
Results of quadruple test for Down’s syndrome
Alpha fetoprotein reduced
Unconjugated oestriol reduced
HCG increased
Inhibin A increased
Result of quadruple test for Edward’s syndrome
Alpha fetoprotein reduced
Unconjugated oestriol reduced
HCG reduced
Inhibin A normal
Results of quadruple test for neural tube defects
Alpha fetoprotein increased
Unconjugated oestriol norma’
HCG normal
Inhibin A normal
non invasive prenatal testing mechanism
analyses small DNA fragments circulating in blood of pregnant woman (cffDNA)
This is derived from placental cells, so is fetal tissue
early detection of chrompsomal abnormalities
Sensitivity and specificity are very high
anti epileptocs with adverse effects in pregnancy
Sodium valproate, phenytoin and phenobarbitone
Vaginal delivery with HIV?
Recommended if viral load is less than 50 copies/ml at 36 weeks
rhesus sensitisation
The process where RhD+ fetal RBCs enter maternal circulation where mother is RhD-. Fetomaternal haemorrhage can cause antibodies to form that can haemolyse fetal RBCs.
Potential events in pregnancy causing rhesus sensitisation
Ectopic pregnancy
Evacuation of retained products of conception
Vaginal bleeding >12wk if painful/heavy/persstent
Vaginal bleeding >12 wk
Chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis
Antepartum haemorrhage
Abdo train
External cephalic version
Intra uterine
Post delivery
Consequences for fetus of RhD sensitisation
Oedema (hydrops fetalis, as liver focus on RBC production and falling albumin)
Jaundice, anaemia, hepatosplenomegaly
Heart failure
Kernicterus (excess bilirubin causes brain damage)
Pre-eclampsia classic triad
New onset hypertension (>140/90 after 20 wks)
Proteinuria
Oedema
Potential consequences of pre eclampsia
Eclampsia
Fetal IUGR and premature
Liver involvement
Haemorrhage (placental abruption, intra abdo/cerebral)
CardiAc failure
Features of severe pre eclampsia
Hypertension >160/110
Big proteiniria
Headache
Visual disturbance
RUQ/epigastric pain
Hyperreflexia
Low platelets, abnormal LFTs, or HELLP
High risk factors for preeclampsoa
hypertensive disease in prev pregnancy
CKD
autoimmune disease eg SLE or antiphospholipid
Type 1 or 2 DM
Chronic HTN
Moderate riSk factors for preeclampsia
first pregnancy
Age >39
BMI >35
FHx preeclampsiA
Multiple pregnancy
Who should take aspirin in preg
1+ high risk factors
2+ moderate risk factors
4 causes of PPH (Ts)
Tone (uterine atony in vast majority of cXds)
Trauma (eg tear)
Tissue (retained placenta)
Thrombin (clotting issuez)
ABCapproach for PPH
Two peripheral cannulae, 14 gauge
Lie woman flat
bloods including group and save
Commence warmed crystalloid
Classification of PPH
Blood loss >500ml after vaginal delivery.
Primary = within 24 he
Secondary = after
Risks for primary PPH
Prev PPH
Long labour
Pre eclampsia
Incr maternal age
polyhydramnios
Emergency CS
Multiple pregnancy
Macrosomia
Placenta praevia, accreta
Mechanical management of PPH
Palpate uterine fundus and rub to stimulate contractions
Catheterization to prevent bladder distension (and fluid balance watch)
Medical management of PPH
IV oxytocin (slow IV then IV)
Ergometrine slow IV or IM, unless history of HTN
Carboprost (called Hemobate) IM, unless history of asthma
Misoprostol sublingual
Surgical management of PPH
Intrauterine balloon tamponade
B lynch suture, ligation of uterine arteries or internal iliac
If severe and uncontrolled, may need lifesaving hysterectomy
Most appropriate anti depressant to start in breastfeeding women
sertraline or paroxetine.
As only present in tiny amounts in breast milk
Causes of increased nuchal translucency
Down’s syndrome
Congenital heart defects
Abdominal wall defects
Prevalence of preeclampsia
5% of pregnancies
Chronic hypertension
present at booking visit or before 20 weeks, can be primary or secondary aetiology
Gestational hypertension
new HTM (140/90) after 20 weeks without significant proteinuria
Preeclampsia definition
new HTN after 20 weeks with 1 or more of
Proteinuria (0.3g/24hrs = protein-creatinine ratio >30)
Other organ dysfunction (renal (creat >90), liver (ALT >40), neurological, haematological)
Uteroplacental dysfunction
pathophys of preeclampsia
poor placentation, then pulsatile high pressure flow, so oxidative stress to placenta. Then fetal growth restric.
OR late = placental capacity exceeded, then predominantly late onset PET, with little or no growth restriction
Fetal syndrome early pre eclampsia
incr uterine artery resistance
Abnormal umbilical artery Doppler flow
IUGR
stillbirth
Symptoms of imminent PET crisis
intense vascular headache
Epigastric pain, sudden onset, hepatic onset
Visual disturbances like migraine
Eclampsia
1/2500 pregnancies
Grand Mal confusions, PIH and new proteinuria
May occur before during or after labour and may or may not be heralded
HELPP syndrome
Haemolysis (jaundice, bruising)
Elevated Liver enzymes
Low Platelets
Acute and dangerous crisis of PET
Other crises of pre eclampsia
cortical blindness
Cerebral haemorrhage
Acute renal tubular necrosis
Acute renal cortical necrosis
Maternal death
Hepatic rupture
Hepatic infarction
Laryngeal oedema
Cardiac failure
Management of eclampsia
ABC approach
A position, suction, anesthetist
B(put O2 on)
C IV line, control BP
Parenteral MgSO4
Deliver
Preeclampsia approach in general
prevent in those with risk factors w aspirin prophylaxis
Detect symptomless cases by screening
Admit when condition becomes unstable
Deliver before becomes dangerous
High risk factors for PET - aspirin 75-150mg daily from 12 wks
HTN during pref pregnancy
CKD
AI disease, eg SLE, anti PPL
DM1/2
Chronic HTN
Moderate risk factors for PET (2 or more for aspirin from 12 aeeks)
first pregnancy
>40
Pregnancy interval >9 yrs
BMI >35
FH of PET
Multiple pregnancy
Examination findings with PET
oedema
Hyperreflexia
Clonus
Raised BP
Predicting preeclampsia I vestigation
sFLT-1:PIPGF ratio
Strong negative predictive value, but poor positive predictive value
ACE inhibitors in preg
Fetptoxic and contraindic
Renal impairment
FGR
Patent ductus arteriosus
Oligohydramnios -> poor lung development
First line med in preg for hypertension
labetalol (full beta blockers less associated with growth restriction)
Also methyldopa, but not at delivery due to assoc with post naral delivery
Nifedipine and alpha blockers
Diuretics but not thiazides
Long term effects PET
2x risk of CV complications in mother
Fetal – Barker hypothesis, incr HTN, stroke and Diabetes and CVD in later life
Chronic HTN approach in preg
give drug safe in pregnancy
Adequate control
Prefent superimposed preeclampsia
Consider other health promotion
SGA definition
smaller than 10th centile for gestatopm