Placenta praevia: does uterine activity cause bleeding?
Twenty-two women > 24 weeks' gestation with a central placenta praevia were monitored to determine if an increase in uterine activity precedes bleeding in patients with central praevias. Monitoring of all subjects began at 26.3 +/- 4.4 weeks and continued until 37 weeks (or delivery if preterm). All subjects had at least one haemorrhage, 7 women had 2, and 4 subjects had 3 episodes of bleeding. Only 3 patients delivered at term while the remainder (86%) delivered preterm. The gestational age at first episode of bleeding was 29.1 +/- 3.6 weeks and at delivery was 34.3 +/- 3.3 weeks. Nine women (41%) had an increase in uterine activity above baseline the day or the day preceding the first haemorrhage. The increase in uterine activity was not statistically significant when compared to the 6 days prior to bleeding when all 22 patients were considered.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216-4505.
E F
EF
Magann
C A
CA
Johnson
K S
KS
Gookin
W E
WE
Roberts
R W
RW
Martin
J C
JC
Morrison
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010923:Placenta Previa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014590:Uterine Contraction; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D015149:Tocolytic Agents