title: Comparison of fern and evaporation tests for detection of ruptured fetal membranes.
abstract: Timely diagnosis of ruptured fetal membranes during the pregnancy is important. This study in the Islamic Republic of Iran compared the sensitivity and specificity of the evaporation test that requires no special equipment with the standard fern test requiring a microscope. Two groups of 50 pregnant women were studied: 1 with artificially ruptured membranes (gold standard) and 1 with intact membranes. The positive and negative predictive values of the fern test were 92% and 96% and for the evaporation test were 89% and 98%. The evaporation test is a simple, easy and non-expensive diagnostic test for ruptured membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. hoseiny339@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nahidi
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Majdfar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002582:Cervix Mucus; D003116:Color; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007751:Labor, Induced; D008853:Microscopy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity