Does premature rupture of membranes mean continuous discharge of fluid? Clinical manifestations of premature rupture of membranes

Pregnant mothers should pay special attention to their physical condition. If they find any abnormality, they should seek medical attention in time. So what are the symptoms of premature rupture of membranes in late pregnancy? Does premature rupture of membranes mean continuous discharge of fluid? What are the clinical manifestations of premature rupture of membranes?

Does premature rupture of membranes mean continuous discharge?

Premature rupture of membranes is the discharge of watery fluid, usually in large amounts, with more discharge when standing and walking, and less discharge after bed rest. There are also cases where the rupture of membranes is small, with a small amount of amniotic fluid flowing out, like leucorrhea. To diagnose whether it is premature rupture of membranes, you need to go to the hospital to use a test strip. If it is premature rupture of membranes, you must be hospitalized and cannot be careless.

Clinical manifestations of premature rupture of membranes

1. Symptoms of premature rupture of membranes

Vaginal discharge may occur suddenly with or without any reason. The amount of discharge may be more or less. The discharge is usually continuous and lasts for varying periods of time. It starts with a large amount and then gradually decreases. A small number of cases are intermittent discharge. Vaginal discharge is usually related to changes in the pregnant woman's body position and whether she is active or not.

2. Signs of premature rupture of membranes

Pregnant women in supine position may see fluid flowing out of the vaginal opening, or there may be no fluid flowing out. If there is no fluid flowing out, during anal examination, lifting the posterior vaginal fornix, pushing the fetal head up and pressing the uterine fundus, or changing the position of the pregnant woman may cause fluid to flow out of the vaginal opening. Note that after these auxiliary operations, there may still be no fluid flowing out. The fluid that flows out is usually thin and may be mixed with meconium or vernix caseosa. Emergency inpatients may bring underwear, sanitary napkins or toilet paper to the hospital, which should be carefully examined.

The most common question for expectant mothers is: Will the amniotic fluid dry up after premature rupture of membranes?

After premature rupture of membranes, the phenomenon of amniotic fluid outflow will continue to exist. Many expectant mothers with broken membranes are worried that the amniotic fluid will run out, which will affect fetal preservation and delivery. In fact, the main source of amniotic fluid in the late pregnancy is fetal urine. In order to achieve a balance in the amount of amniotic fluid, the fetus will adjust the amount of amniotic fluid by swallowing amniotic fluid to achieve a dynamic balance. After the membranes rupture, in addition to the fetus swallowing, amniotic fluid will flow out of the vagina. When the placenta functions normally and the fetus is in good functional condition, as long as the amniotic fluid does not flow out too much or too quickly, the baby can still play its own regulatory role to adjust the amount of amniotic fluid to ensure the liquid environment for its own survival as much as possible.

Therefore, doctors will ask expectant mothers with premature rupture of membranes to lie flat as much as possible to reduce the outflow of amniotic fluid. However, sometimes it is difficult to maintain an ideal level of amniotic fluid. When the amount of amniotic fluid is very low, the development of the fetal lungs will be affected. At the same time, the umbilical cord is easily compressed, and the fetus is in distress, which will lead to a poor outcome of pregnancy preservation. At this time, the doctor's pregnancy preservation treatment and the recommended delivery method will be affected to a certain extent.

Nursing measures for premature rupture of membranes

The spontaneous rupture of the membranes before labor is called premature rupture of membranes. Poor development or infection of the membranes, a sharp increase in abdominal pressure, and sexual intercourse in late pregnancy can all be causes of premature rupture of membranes. The impact of premature rupture of membranes is quite large, so once discovered, early care is required.

The following are some of the nursing measures that can be taken for premature rupture of membranes:

1. Reduce anxiety and cooperate with treatment

The doctor should explain the current situation to the pregnant woman and her family, and explain the purpose and significance of the treatment measures taken by medical staff, guide them to cooperate with treatment and monitoring, assist the pregnant woman with various life care, and reduce the anxiety of the pregnant woman.

2. Prevent umbilical cord prolapse and promote perinatal health

If the fetal membrane has ruptured, the umbilical cord may slip out of the external cervical opening along with the amniotic fluid from the gap between the fetal presenting part and the pelvic entrance and drop into the vagina or even the vulva. This is called umbilical cord prolapse.

After premature rupture of membranes, an anal or vaginal examination should be performed immediately to understand the height of the presenting part, the condition of the cervix, and whether the umbilical cord has prolapsed. If the cervix is ​​not fully dilated and the presenting part has not entered the pelvis, the patient should immediately lie in bed and raise the buttocks in a side-lying position. Enema is prohibited, and the fetal heart rate should be listened to in time for close monitoring. If the umbilical cord is prolapsed and the cervix is ​​not fully dilated, oxygen should be inhaled immediately, and the umbilical cord should be returned to the uterine cavity in the chest-knee position with sterile gloves, and preparations for an immediate cesarean section should be made. If the cervix is ​​fully dilated, immediate delivery should be assisted.

3. Prevent infection

① Keep the vulva clean, scrub the vulva twice a day, and change disinfected sanitary pads frequently.

② Observe the amount, nature, color, and odor of the amniotic fluid, and pay attention to whether it is mixed with meconium, especially in cases of head first presentation.

③ Observe changes in body temperature and measure it 4 times a day. If the body temperature rises, the white blood cell count increases, and the serum C-reactive protein increases, it indicates intrauterine infection and should be treated early.

④ Absolutely stay in bed and rest, and try to avoid rectal or vaginal examinations as much as possible. If necessary, they must be performed under sterile conditions.

⑤ If rupture of membranes exceeds 12 hours, antibiotics may be considered to prevent infection. If labor has not occurred within 24 hours, induced labor should be given as ordered by the doctor.

4. Prevent premature birth

If rupture of membranes occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy, conservative treatment is recommended under the care of preventing infection and umbilical cord prolapse. During conservative treatment, interference should be avoided as much as possible, and anal and vaginal examinations should be performed less frequently. The fetus should be monitored regularly to understand the fetus's situation in the uterus. Once abnormal phenomena occur, the doctor should be notified in time to terminate the pregnancy.