Terminology Flashcards
Nullipara
A woman who has never been pregnant beyond 20/40
Gravid
Number of pregnancies, regardless of outcome
Para/Parity
The number of babies born after 20/40
G6P4
Gravida 6, Para 4 6 pregnancies (including current pregnancy) and has previously delivered 4 babies at more than 20/40
Grand multipara
A woman who has delivered 5 or more babies at more than 20/40
Abortion/miscarriage
Pregnancy loss before 20/40
Labour
Regular painful contractions with cervical changes after 20/40
Lower uterine segment caesarean section (LUSCS)
Operative delivery of the baby through an incision in the lower uterine segment
Classical caesarean section
Operative delivery of a baby through a vertical incision in the upper segment of the uterus
Hysterotomy
Operative delivery of the baby through a uterine incision at less than 20/40
Preterm labour
Labour at less than 37/40
Prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM)
Rupture of the membranes before onset of labour
Premature prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM)
Rupture of the membranes before labour at less than 37/40
ARM/AROM
Artificial rupture of membranes
SROM
Spontaneous rupture of membranes
Braxton Hicks contractions
Painless uterine contractions in the antenatal period
Naegles rule
To estimate the probable date of confinement.
Add 9 months and 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period. A correction is required if the patient does not have 28-day cycles
First stage of labour
From the start of labour until full dilation of the cervix
Second stage of labour
From full dilation of the cervix until birth of the baby
Third stage of labour
From the birth of the baby until the delivery of the placenta and membranes
Spurious or false labour
Uterine contractions which may be regular and/or painful, but are not associated with cervical effacement and dilatation
Oxytocic
Medication that stimulates the contractions of the uterine muscle
Tocolytic
Medication to stop uterine contractions
Induction of labour (IOL)
The process of causing labour to commence
Augmentation of labour
The process of stimulating a labour that has already started
Placenta praevia
Placenta that approaches or covers the internal cervical os in late second or third trimester
Vasa praevia
Foetal vessels lying in the membranes in front of the presenting part
Antepartum haemorrhage (APH)
Bleeding >5mL from the vagina after 20/40
Abruption
Separation of the placenta from the uterus in the antenatal or intrapartum period
Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH)
PV bleeding of >500mL in the first 24h post delivery
Secondary post partum haemorrhage
PV bleeding of >500mL more than 24h post delivery
Placenta accreta
PLacenta that invades the myometrium
Uterine atony
Abnormal relaxation of the uterus after delivery, usually causing bleeding
Isoimmunisation
Blood group antibodies cross the placenta resulting in haemolysis of the foetal red blood cells.
Antibodies include D, c, K (Kell), Kidd, Duffy etc
CTG
Cardiotocograph
Neonatal death
A liveborn infant who dies within 28 days of birth, of at least 20/40 or weighing >400gm if gestation is unknown
Stillbirth
An infant born after 20/40 (or birthweight >400gm if unknown gestation) who did not show any signs of life after birth
Perinatal mortality rate
The number of stillbirths plus neonatal deaths per 1000 births
Maternal death
The death of a woman while pregnant (irrespective of the gestation) or within 42 days of the conclusion of the pregnancy irrespective of the cause of death or gestation at delivery
Maternal mortality rate
Number of maternal deaths per 100,000 births
Infant death
Death of an infant b/w 29 days and 1 year of life
Station
The level of descent of the presenting part relative to the pelvic brim or symphysis on abdominal palpation, or to the ischial spines on vaginal examination
Lie
The relationship between the long axis of the foetus and the long axis of the uterus
Eg: longitudinal, oblique, transverse
Position
The relationship of a defined area on the presenting part (the “denominator”) to the mother’s pelvis. In a cephalic presentation, the denominator is the occiput, thus the foetal position is described as occipito-anterior (OA), occipito-posterior (OP), left or right occipito-transverse (L/ROT). In a breach presentation, the denominator is the sacrum (SA, SP, ST)
Presentation
The part of the foetus which is presenting
Eg vertex, breech
Asynclitism
Side to side tilt of the foetal head
Caput
Oedema from obstructed venous return in the foetal scalp caused by pressure of head against the cervix
Cervical incompetence
Painless cervical dilatation in the second trimester causing preterm labour
Cord prolapse
The cord is alongside or below the presenting part in the presence of ruptured membranes
Episiotomy
Surgical incision of the perineum during the second stage of labour
Third degree tear
Perineal trauma which involves the vaginal mucosa, perineal muscles and external anal sphincter
Second degree tear
Perineal trauma which involves the vaginal mucosa and perineal muscles
Lochia
Vaginal discharge during the puerperium
Oligohydramnios
Reduced amniotic fluid
Polyhydramnios
Excess amniotic fluid
Pre-eclampsia
Hypertension and proteinuria in pregnancy
Eclampsia
A seizure in the clinical setting of preeclampsia
Amniocentesis
Sampling of amniotic fluid using a needle through the abdominal wall of the woman
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
Sampling of the placenta using a needle under ultrasound guidance
External cephalic version
Turning a breech baby to cephalic presentation through the maternal abdominal wall
Retained placenta
Placenta still in utero 1-hour after delivery of the baby
Precipitate labour
Labour less than 4 hours duration
Shoulder dystocia
Difficulty delivering the shoulders after delivery of the foetal head
Puerperium
The 6-weeks following delivery
Quickening
Maternal perception of foetal movements
Restitution
Rotation of the foetal head after delivery to align with the back and shoudlers
Show
A discharge of blood and mucus from vagina in early labour or the days preceding labour
Phototherapy
Use of standard fluorecent white light and blue light therapy to photoisomerise bilirubin to allow for its excretion
Second degree tear
Perineal trauma which involves the vaginal mucosa and perineal muscles
Lochia
Vaginal discharge during the puerperium
Oligohydramnios
Reduced amniotic fluid
Polyhydramnios
Excess amniotic fluid
Pre-eclampsia
Hypertension and proteinuria in pregnancy
Eclampsia
A seizure in the clinical setting of preeclampsia
Amniocentesis
Sampling of amniotic fluid using a needle through the abdominal wall of the woman
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
Sampling of the placenta using a needle under ultrasound guidance
External cephalic version
Turning a breech baby to cephalic presentation through the maternal abdominal wall
Retained placenta
Placenta still in utero 1-hour after delivery of the baby
Precipitate labour
Labour less than 4 hours duration
Shoulder dystocia
Difficulty delivering the shoulders after delivery of the foetal head
Puerperium
The 6-weeks following delivery
Quickening
Maternal perception of foetal movements
Restitution
Rotation of the foetal head after delivery to align with the back and shoudlers
Show
A discharge of blood and mucus from vagina in early labour or the days preceding labour
Phototherapy
Use of standard fluorecent white light and blue light therapy to photoisomerise bilirubin to allow for its excretion
Exchange transfusion
Procedure to treat severe newborn pathological jaundice in which blood is removed and replaced with donor blood. This removes the bilirubin and also the antibodies that have been causing haemolysis and jaundice
Low birthweight baby
Very low birthweight baby
Neonatal respiratory distress
Tachypnoea, increased effort of breathing, noisy breathing and central cyanosis
Caesarean hysterectomy
Laparotomy at which the contents of the gravid uterus are delivered, then the uterus is excised (eg due to placenta accretia)
Perimortem CS
Caesarean section performed on a moribund or dead woman with a view to preserving her life
Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB)
An overarching term for disturbed menstrual bleeding, which includes bleeding that is abnormally heavy or abnormal in timing
Primary ammenorrhoea
Absence of periods ever
Secondary ammenorrhoea
Absence of periods for 6/12
Intermenstrual bleeding
Bleeding episodes between normally timed menstrual periods that are either random of follow a cyclical pattern
Irregular menstrual bleeding
Unpredictable onset of menses, with cycle variations of >20d over a period of 1y
Prolonged menstrual bleeding
Menstrual bleeding lasting >8d on a regular basis
Acute AUB
An episode of heavy bleeding that, in the clinician’s opinion, is sufficiently heavy to require immediate treatment to prevent further blood loss
Chronic AUB
Bleeding from the uterine corpus that is abnormal in volume, duration, and/or frequency and has been present for most of the past 6/12
Heavy menstrual bleeding (aka menorrhagia)
Excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with a woman’s physical, emotional, social and material quality of life, occurring alone or with other symptoms.
Note that this definition includes menstrual bleeding deemed excessive by the patient regardless of its regularity, frequency or duration
Dysmenorrhoea
Pelvic pain during menstruation
Dyspareunia
Pain with sexual intercourse
Cervical excitation
Pain felt by the woman when her cervix is moved during vaginal examination, typically from free blood in the peritoneal cavity
Cervical ectropion
The endocervical columnar epithelium protrude through the external os of the cervix and onto the vaginal portion of the cervix.
Infertility
Failure of a couple to conceive in 1y of unprotected sex
Endometrioisis
The occurrence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, most commonly on the pelvic peritoneal surfaces
Adenomyosis
The occurrence of endometrial tissue within the myometrium
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes or pelvis
Menopause
The final menstrual period
Premature menopause
Menopause occurring
Climacteric/perimenopause
The periods of time when ovarian function declines and menopausal symptoms appear
Post-menopause
The time after menopause
Lactational amenorrhoea method
Effective contraception provided when a women is fully breast-feeding a baby less than 6/12 of age and has no return of menses
