Persistent abdominal pain over uterine scar during labor as a predictor of delivery complications.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the significance of persistent lower abdominal pain in women with previous cesarean delivery.


METHODS
Various maternal outcomes were compared between women who underwent repeated cesareans owing to persistent lower abdominal pain (study group) and women who underwent repeated cesareans without persistent abdominal pain (control group).


RESULTS
The incidence of uterine rupture was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (8/81 [9.9%] vs 0/119 [0.0%]; P<0.001). While all women with persistent lower abdominal pain and uterine rupture had an additional sign or symptom, only 6/73 (8.2%) women with persistent abdominal pain without uterine rupture had any additional symptoms (P<0.001). There was no difference in incidence of uterine scar dehiscence between the groups. However, the hospitalization period was significantly longer in the study group (4 vs 3.7days; P<0.05). Trial of labor was a contributing factor to uterine rupture.


CONCLUSIONS
Isolated persistent lower abdominal pain in women with previous cesarean is a poor indicator of uterine rupture. However, the positive predictive value for uterine rupture is 57% when an additional sign or symptom is present. Dehiscence of the uterine scar is relatively common and it is not associated with persistent abdominal pain.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel; Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: co.aviad@gmail.com.
Aviad
A
Cohen
Yoni
Y
Cohen
Ido
I
Laskov
Sharon
S
Maslovitz
Joseph B
JB
Lessing
Ariel
A
Many
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D007902:Length of Stay; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000453:epidemiology; D014219:Trial of Labor; D014597:Uterine Rupture / Q000453:epidemiology*
Persistent abdominal pain; Uterine rupture; Uterine scar dehiscence