- Antepartum haemorrhage
In
obstetrics , antepartum haemorrhage (APH ), also prepartum hemorrhage, is bleeding from thevagina duringpregnancy from twenty four weeksgestational age to term.It should be considered a
medical emergency (regardless of whether there ispain ) and medical attention should be sought immediately, as if it is left untreated it can lead todeath of the mother and/orfetus .It can be associated with reduced fetal birth weight.cite journal |author=Lam CM, Wong SF, Chow KM, Ho LC |title=Women with placenta praevia and antepartum haemorrhage have a worse outcome than those who do not bleed before delivery |journal=Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=27–31 |year=2000 |pmid=15512459 |doi=10.1080/01443610063417]
Bleeding without pain is most frequently
bloody show , which is benign; however, it may also be placenta previa (in which both the mother and fetus are in danger). Painful APH is most frequency placental abruption.Differential diagnosis of APH
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Bloody show (benign) - most common cause of APH
*Placental abruption - most common pathological cause
*Placenta previa - second most common pathological cause
*Vasa previa - often difficult to diagnose, frequently leads to fetal demise
*Uterine rupture
* Bleeding from the lower genital tract
** Cervical bleeding -cervicitis ,cervical neoplasm ,cervical polyp
** Bleeding from the vagina itself - trauma, neoplasm
* Bleeding that may be confused with vaginal bleeding
**GI bleed -hemorrhoids ,inflammatory bowel disease
**Urinary tract bleed -urinary tract infection References
ee also
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Obstetrical hemorrhage External links
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