UM Press Flashcards
Define antepartum hemorrhage.
It is defined as bleeding from the genital tract between the period of fetal viability to the onset of labour.
What are the causes of antepartum hemorrhage?
- Placenta previa
- Abruptio placentae
What are the types of bleeding in abruptio?
- Concealed
- Revealed
- Both
What are the 3 predisposing conditions for placenta previa?
- Multiparity
- Multiple pregnancy
- Previous C-section
What are the 4 predisposing conditions for abruptio placentae?
- Multiparity
- Hypertensive disorders
- Trauma to the maternal abdomen
- Sudden release of liquor in polyhydramnios (rare)
What are the abdomen features of a placenta previa?
Soft, non-tender, fetal parts easily palpable
What are the abdomen features of a abruptio placentae?
Tense and tender, “WOODY HARD”, fetal parts difficult to feel (Due to the tense abdomen)
What factors determine the subsequent management of the patient in placenta previae?
- The degree of bleeding and whether it begins to settle
- The maturity of the pregnancy
If fetus is preterm, and bleeding is under control in placenta previae, what regime should be carried out?
McCafee regime
What is included in McCafee regime?
- Admission to the ward till delivery
- Close observation for any further bleeding
- Availability of at least 2 units of grouped and cross-matched blood at all times for the patient
- Liberal use of C-section for delivery of the fetus as soon as fetal maturity is achieved
What are the conditions whereby vaginal delivery is allowed in a placenta previae case?
- Minor previa + no further episodes of per vaginal bleeding
- Minor previa that is ANTERIORLY placed
Why coagulopathy occurs in abruptio placentae?
- In forming of the retroplacental clot, there is a consumption of the elements that promotes thrombosis in vessels, such as FIBRINOGEN, PLETELETS, and CLOTTING FACTORS.
- Thus, it is sometimes called “CONSUMPTIVE COAGULOPATHY”
Why DIVC occurs in abruptio placentae?
- Increase pressure within the uterus
- Thromboplastins are released into the circulation from the retroplacental clot
How do you manage a case of abruptio placentae?
- Immediate resuscitation and assessment of the coagulation status
- Drip should be set up, blood grouped and cross-matched
- DIVC screen should be sent
- Continuous bladder drainage inserted to monitor the urinary output
- US or doptone examination should be obtained to see if the fetus is dead or alive. If alive, CTG should be done to see if there is any fetal distress
- Vaginal examination is done to assess how favorable the cervix is for an immediate delivery
If the fetus is dead in abruptio placentae, what is the next appropriate management?
- Artificial rupture of the membrane must be performed -> Liquor release -> Syntocinon drip is set up to augment the labor
Define miscarriage
Miscarriage is the expulsion of the products of conception before the 24th week of pregnancy
What are the 3 most commonly seen miscarriages?
- Threatened miscarriage
- Incomplete miscarriage
- Missed miscarriage
How do one diagnose threatened miscarriage?
Vaginal examination
- Cervical os is closed
- The size of the uterus will correspond to the period of amenorrhoea
Ultrasound examination
- Well formed and rounded gestational sac with a viable fetus within it
What supplementation should be given for threatened miscarriage?
- Folic acid supplements - promote development of the fetus
- Progesterone supplements (orally or IM) - up to 12 weeks
What are the symptoms of incomplete miscarriage?
- Bleeding is usually heavy
- Colicky lower abdominal pain (caused by the uterus trying to expel the conceptus)
How do one diagnose a case of incomplete miscarriage?
- Speculum examination -> cervical os is open
- Bimanual examination -> uterus smaller than dates
What is the management for an incomplete miscarriage?
- Resuscitation if bleeding is severe
- Blood group and cross-matched
- Ergometrine 0.5mg (IM) -> contract uterus and control bleeding
- Once the patient is fit for anesthesia, evacuate the product of conception
How do you diagnose a missed miscarriage?
- Uterus is smaller than the period of gestation
- Vaginal examination, minimal bleeding and cervical os is closed
- Bimanual examination shows uterus is smaller than period of gestation
What is the treatment for missed miscarriage?
- Evacuation of the uterus of its product of conception
- Best done by using SUCTION CANNULA
- Cervical os will first need to be dilated
If a missed miscarriage occurs later in pregnancy (> 12 weeks), it may not be wised to evacuate the uterus surgically, due to increased risk of…?
1.
2.
3.
- Incomplete evacuation
- Perforation
- Cervical incompetence
Instead, drug of choice is prostaglandin (e.g GAMEPROST)
If evacuation is incomplete, the remaining products of conception evacuated by a CURETTAGE
What are the causes of reduced weight gain?
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Forced dieting
What are the causes of excessive weight gain?
Excessive fluid retention
- PIH
- Renal disease
- Poor dietary habits
- Polyhydramnios
How do we assess fetal movement?
Cardiff ‘count to ten’ kick chart
- Mother starts her counting at 9am
- Records the time it takes for the baby to move 10 times
What are the 2 most common measurements used to assess the growth of the fetus
- Bi-parietal diameter (BPD)
- Femur length (FL)
However, their sensitivity in assessing IUGR is limited as both the brain and fetal skeleton are spared in growth restriction
A more sensitive measurement is ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE
What are looked into when doing CTG?
- Baseline heart rate (120 - 160 bpm)
- Variability of heart rate (Normal variation is between 8 beats per minute)
- A reactive tracing should be seen especially when there is fetal movement - Presence or absence of decelerations, especially in relation to uterine contractions
- Type 1 deceleration -> Head compression (2nd stage of labour)
- Type 2 deceleration -> indicative of fetal distress
What is the principle behind Doppler Ultrasound?
It measures the blood velocity in the umbilical artery of the fetus
- The principle is blood velocity speeds up during systole and slows down during diastole
- The degree by which blood slows down during diastole would depend on the amount of resistance in the arterial bed in the placenta
- During normal fetal life, there is a gradual increase in diastolic blood velocity because the resistance downstream gradually decreases with advancing gestational age
What is measured next if the umbilical artery blood flow shows compromisation?
Middle cerebral artery blood flow
What factors affect the production of liquor?
- Placental size
- Placental function
- Fetal metabolism
What causes meconium stained liquor?
- Sign of FETAL COMPROMISE
- It is usually as a result of intestinal hurry or spontaneous dilatation of the anal sphincters
- Both these reflexes are manifestation of some form of FETAL HYPOXIA
State the Indication for IOL
Fetal reasons
- IUGR
- PIH or Pre-eclampsia with evidence of growth restriction
- Post-datism or prolonged pregnancy (Placental function deteriorates after term)
- GDM
- Twin pregnancy at term
- Any history of unexplained antepartum hemorrhage
- Transverse, oblique or unstable lie of the fetus (Risk of cord prolapse)
Stabilizing induction is done here
1. ECV is first done to ensure fetus is in the longitudinal lie
2. Following ECV, syntocinon infusion is started and membranes are artificially ruptured
Maternal reasons
- Pre-eclampsia (risk of developing complications that may be life-threatening)
- Medical disorders
- IUD (risk of DIVC if pregnancy prolongs further)
- Fetal abnormality
What are the pre-requisites that must be fulfilled to subject the patient for IOL?
- No evidence of cephalo-pelvic disproportion
- Fetus must be able to withstand the stress of labour
- Breech presentation (especially footling or flexed type)
- Caution must be exercised when inducing patient with a previous scar on the uterus
What is the characteristic of a favourable cervix?
- Soft
- Anterior pointing
- Effaced
- Os dilated
- Station of the presenting part is sufficiently low
BISHOP SCORE >8
Once the cervix is favourable, artificial rupture of membrane is done and syntocinon infusion is started soon after
What are the 5 components of the modified Bishop score?
- Cervical dilatation
- Cervical length
- Consistency
- Station
- Position (Pointing)
What to do if the cervix is unfavourable for the IOL?
- Do not proceed with IOL and go for C-section
- “Ripen” or “Prime” the cervix with hope of making it favourable
- Most common method of ripenning the cervix is by inserting Prostaglandin (PROSTIN) pessary into the vagina or insert prostaglandin gel (PREPIDIL) into the cervical canal
What are the risk of IOL?
- Failed induction
- Prematurity
- Sepsis
- Hypertonicity of the uterus (Fetal asphyxia is a real risk)
- Umbilical cord prolapse
- Uterine rupture
Name 2 types of Caesarean section
- Classical
- Lower segment
Why is the lower segment more favourable for C-section?
- Avascular
- Does not take an active part in contraction and retraction during labour
What are the disadvantages of classical C-section?
- More vascular -> Tends to bleed more than usual
- Sutures tend to loosen and healing is poor due to rapid involution (during post-partum)
- Risk of uterine scar rupture is high
What are the definite indications of doing a classical C-section?
- Any reason for which the lower segment is not accessible
- Impacted transverse lie of the fetus
- Major placenta previa where the surgeon is inexperienced
- Delivery of fetus before proceeding on to a radical hysterectomy for carcinoma of cervix
- “Post mortem” C-section in which baby is delivered in anticipation of a mother that is going to die very soon
What are the common indications for emergency C-sections?
- Fetal distress
- Cephalo-pelvic disproportion
- Umbilical cord prolapse
- Abruptio placenta and when vaginal delivery is not imminent
- Failed instrumental delivery
- Failed IOL
- Placenta previa
Why is elective C-section better than emergency C-section?
- The patient is forewarned and she is in the proper frame of mind to undergo the surgery
- Patient is well prepared pre-operatively
- The patient is fasted overnight and the risk of lung aspiration is reduced
- Blood is readily available
- Both obstetrician and anesthetist are at their best
What are the complications of C-section?
- Anesthetic complications
- Bleeding from the incision (Placenta previa)
- Injury to bladder or even ureter (Due to previous C-section and pelvic anatomy is distorted by adhesions)
Name the players of menstrual cycle.
- Hypothalamus
- Anterior pituitary gland
- Ovary
- Endometrium
State the respective roles of FSH and LH
- FSH -> stimulates the development of follicles
- LH -> Rupture of the dominant follicle at ovulation, releasing the ovum
What’s another term for dominant follicle?
Graafian follicle
State the 3 main purposes of estrogen during the follicular phase.
- Causes both ENDOMETRIAL GLAND and STROMA to proliferate -> Increasing thickness of endometrium (proliferative phase)
- Exerts a negative feedback on secretion of FSH from HYPOTHALAMUS and PITUITARY
- Converts cervical mucus to a clear consistency (Makes cervical canal receptive to spermatozoa)