Abortion, spontaneous

Alternative names:

miscarriage

Symptoms:

• currently pregnant
• vaginal bleeding
  • with or without abdominal cramps
  • between periods

• low back pain or abdominal pain
  • dull or sharp or cramping
  • persistent/constant or intermittent

• tissue or clot-like material that passes from the vagina

Note: Approximately 20% of pregnant women experience some vaginal bleeding during the first trimester. Less than half of these women experience a spontaneous abortion.

Signs and tests:

Pelvic examination may reveal moderate thinning of the cervix (effacement), increased cervical dilation, and evidence of ruptured membranes.

• An HCG (qualitative - urine) or HCG (qualitative - serum) test confirms pregnancy.
• Serial HCG (quantitative) values may be drawn at intervals of days to weeks.
• A CBC may be done to determine the degree of blood loss.
• A WBC and differential may be done to rule out potential infection.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• transvaginal ultrasound
• pregnancy ultrasound
• pregnanediol
• estriol - urine
• estriol - serum
• serum progesterone
• euglobulin lysis time
• fibrin degradation products