title: Uterine contraction patterns in patients with severe abruptio placentae.
abstract: Uterine contractions were monitored in 54 patients in whom severe abruptio placentae had caused intra-uterine death of the fetus. The frequency at the beginning of monitoring ranged from 2 to 14 contractions in 10 minutes, with a mean of 8,4. Only 4 patients had 4 or fewer contractions in the first 10 minutes of monitoring. No change in contraction frequency was observed during the course of labour. A high frequency of contractions before or during labour is highly suggestive of severe abruptio placentae.
mesh_terms: D000037:Abruptio Placentae / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007747:Labor Stage, First; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D014590:Uterine Contraction