Terms and Definitions Flashcards
Nullipara
A woman who has never been pregnant beyond 20 weeks
Gravid
The number of pregnancies, regardless of outcome
Para/parity
The number of babies born after 20 weeks gestation
G6, P4
Gravida 6, Para 4 means pregnant 6 times (includes current) and has previously delivered 4 babies at more than 20 weeks gestation
Grand mulitpara
Woman who has delivered 5 or more babies at more than 20 weeks gestation
abortion / miscarriage
pregnancy loss before 20 weeks gestation
labour
regular painful contractions with cervical change after 20 weeks
LUSCS
operative delivery of the baby through an incision in the lower uterine segment
classical c 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 weeks gestation
preterm labour
labour at less than 37 weeks
PROM
rupture of membranes before onset of labour
PPROM
rupture of the membranes before labour at less than 37 weeks gestation
ARM / AROM
artifical rupture of the membranes
SROM
spontaneous rupture of the membranes
Braxton Hicks contractions
painless uteirne contractions in the antenatal period
Naegles rule
To estimate probable date of confinement.
Add 9m7d to first day of last menstrual period. Correct if not 28d cycles
First stage of labour
From start of labour until full dilation of the cervix
Second stage of labour
From full dilation of cervix to delivery of the baby
Third stage of labour
From birth of baby until delivery of placenta and membranes
Spurious or false labour
uterine contractions which may be regular and painful but are not associated with cervical effacement and dilation
Oxytocic
Medication that stimulates contractions of the uterine muscle
Tocolytic
Medication to stop uterine contractions
Induction of labour
Process causing labour to commence
Augmentation of labour
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
fetal vessels lying in the membranes in front of the presenting part
antepartum haemorrhage
bleeding >5ml from the vagina after 20 weeks gestation
abruption
separation of the placenta from the uterus in the antenatal or intrapartum period
post partum haemorrhage
vaginal bleeding of more than 500mL in the first 24h after delivery
secondary post partum haemorrhage
vaginal bleeding of more than 500mL more than 24h after 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 foetal red blood cells. Abs 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 weeks gestation or weighing >400g if gestation is unknown
stillbirth
an infant born after 20 weeks gestation (or >400g if gestation unknown) 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 live births
infant death
death of an infant between 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 e.g. 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 fetal position is described as occipito-anterior (OA), occipito-posterior (OP), left or right
occipito-transverse (L/ROT). In a breech presentation, the denominator is the sacrum (SA, SP, ST).
Presentation
the part of the foetus which is presenting e.g. vertex, breech
asynclitisim
side to side tilt of the foetal head
caput
oedema from obstructed venous return in the foetal scalp caused by pressure of the head against the cervix
cervical incompetence
painless cervical dilation in the second trimester causing preterm labour
cord prolapse
cord is alongside or below the presenting part in the presence of rupture 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
HTN and proteinuria in pregnancy
eclampsia
a seizure in the clinical setting of pre eclampsia
amniocentesis
sampling of amniotic fluid using a needle through the abdominal wall of the woman
CVS
sampling of the placenta using a needle under US 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 4h duration
shoulder dystocia
difficulty delivery the shoulders after delivery of the foetal head
puerperium
6 weeks following delivery
quickening
maternal perception of foetal movements
restitution
rotation of the foetal head after delivery to align with the back and shoulders
show
discharge of blood and mucous from the vagina in early labour or days preceding labour
phototherapy
use of standard fluorescent white or 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. Removes bilirubin and also Abs that have been causing haemolysis and jaundice
Low birthweight baby
VLB
Neonatal respiratory distress
Tachypnoea, increased effort of breaking, noisy breathing and central cyanosis
Caesarean hysterectomy
Laparotomy at which the contents of the gravid uterus are delivered, then the uterus is excised e.g. due to placenta accreta
Perimortem CS
C section performed on a moribund or dead woman with a view to preserving her life
AUB
abnormal uterine bleeding. overarching term for disturbed menstrual bleeding which includes bleeding that is abnormally heavy or abnormal in timing
primary amenorrhoea
absence of periods ever
secondary amenorrhoea
absence of periods for a six month period
intermenstrual bleeding
bleeding episodes between normally times menstrual periods that are either random or follow a cyclical pattern
irregular menstrual bleeding
unpredictable onset of menses with cycle variations of >20days over a period of 1 year
prolonged menstrual bleedign
menstrual bleeding lasting >8d on a regular basis
acute AUB
an episode of heavy bleeding that in the clinician’s opinion, is sufficiently heaving 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 months
heavy menstrual bleeding (replaces menorrhagia)
excessiv emenstrual loss that interferes with a woman’s physical, emotional, social and material quality of life, occurring alone or with other symptoms. Includes bleeding deemed excessive by the patient regardless of its characteristics
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 protrudes through the external os of the cervix and onto the vaginal portion of the cervix
infertility
failure of a couple to conceive after 1 year
endometriosis
endometrial tissue outside the uterus, most commonly on pelvic peritoneal surfaces
adenomyosis
occurrence of endometrial tissue within the myometrium
PID
infection of uterus, fallopian tubes or pelvis
menopause
final menstrual period
premature menopause
menopause occurring before 40y of age
climacteric / perimenopuase
period when ovarian function declines and menstrual symptoms appear
post menopause
time after menopause
lactational amenorrhoea method
effective contraception provided when a woman is fully breast feeding a baby less than 6 months of age and has no return of menses
