c. Nursing implications are listed below.
(1)
Record amount and character of vaginal bleeding.
(2)
Maintain thorough peri-care to keep the mother feeling clean.
(3) Monitor the fetal heart tones per order. Deceleration indicates
diminishing placental function.
(4) Monitor the mother's vital signs per OB practitioner's or physician's
orders. Death occurs from hypovolemic shock.
(5)
Monitor IV fluids per order. IV fluids will be administered to replace fluid
volume.
1-15. ABORTION
a. Abortion refers to the loss of the fetus before viability (twenty weeks gestation
or fetal weight of 400 gr/14 oz) (see figure 1-7). The types of abortion are:
(1) Spontaneous (miscarriage)-the process starts of its own accord through
natural causes.
(2)
Induced-intervention by outside source whether therapeutic or other
reasons.
(3) Threatened-possible, but can be prevented. Bleeding or spotting
occurs with the cervix closed. The patient may have mild cramps.
(4) Inevitable-the process has gone so far that loss of the fetus will occur, it
cannot be prevented.
(5) Incomplete-parts of the products of conception have been passed, but
part (usually the placenta) is retained in the uterus.
(6)
Complete-all products (placenta and fetus) of pregnancy are eliminated.
NOTE: See figure 1-7 for some types of abortion.
MD0922
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