page_title: Placental abruption
section_title: Diagnosis
hierarchical_section_title: Placental abruption / Diagnosis
caption_attribution_description: Ultrasound scan. Detachment of placenta. Provided as-is. Please feel free to categorise, add description, crop or rename.
context_page_description: Placental abruption is when the placenta separates early from the uterus, in other words separates before childbirth. It occurs most commonly around 25 weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms may include vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, and dangerously low blood pressure. Complications for the mother can include disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and kidney failure. Complications for the baby can include fetal distress, low birthweight, preterm delivery, and stillbirth.
  The cause of placental abruption is not entirely clear. Risk factors include smoking, preeclampsia, prior abruption, trauma during pregnancy, cocaine use, and previous cesarean section. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and supported by ultrasound. It is classified as a complication of pregnancy.
  For small abruption bed rest may be recommended while for more significant abruptions or those that occur near term, delivery may be recommended. If everything is stable vaginal delivery may be tried, otherwise cesarean section is recommended. In those less than 36 weeks pregnant, corticosteroids may be given to speed development of the baby's lungs. Treatment may require blood transfusion or emergency hysterectomy.
context_section_description: Placental abruption is suspected when a pregnant mother has sudden localized abdominal pain with or without bleeding. The fundus may be monitored because a rising fundus can indicate bleeding. An ultrasound may be used to rule out placenta praevia but is not diagnostic for abruption. The diagnosis is one of exclusion, meaning other possible sources of vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain have to be ruled out in order to diagnose placental abruption. Of note, use of magnetic resonance imaging has been found to be highly sensitive in depicting placental abruption, and may be considered if no ultrasound evidence of placental abruption is present, especially if the diagnosis of placental abruption would change management.
caption: Ultrasound showing placental abruption.
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "Ultrasound Scan", "Image Make": "CanonScan LIDE 20", "Image Model": "LiDE 20", "Image Artist": "Nevit Dilmen", "Image Copyright": "1997-1999 Nevit Dilmen GFDL", "Image ExifOffset": "169", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2008:12:30 01:37:25"}