What Causes Early Pregnancy Vaginal Bleeding?

Discussion Pregnancy complications in early pregnancy range from mild to severe. They can include nausea and emesis which often is treated symptomatically, but can cause hyperemesis gravidarum and need hospitalization for intravenous fluids. Mild cramping and slight spotting are not uncommon. Some type of pregnancy bleeding is common with 20-40% of women experiencing it. Women who have early vaginal bleeding have a higher risk of later pregnancy complications. Pregnancy in adolescents is about 10% of all pregnancies. Adolescent pregnancy can be associated with various problems including higher rates of threatened abortion, pre-eclampsia, Cesarean section, pre-term delivery and lower birth weights. A review can be found here. Patients with vaginal bleeding need to be evaluated for hemodynamic stability. Young women especially can lose a significant amount of blood before becoming hemodynamically unstable. Physical examination may reveal abdominal tenderness or signs of an acute abdomen such as rigidity, distension and guarding. Vaginal speculum examination helps to determine location of the bleeding. Bimanual examination can help to determine cervical motion or pelvic tenderness, and uterus size. Evaluation includes serum hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) levels, ultrasound to try to determine if there is an ectopic or intra-uterine pregnancy and other labs such as hemoglobin/hematocrit and type and cross-match for potential transfusion. The patient’s blood type sh...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news