Clinical study of Abruptio placenta

Kang, Byung Chae; Kim, Sa Jin; Lee, Gui Se Ra; Hur, Soo Young; Lee, Cho Hee; Jin, Gi Hong; Park, Jung Hui; Chung, Dae Young; Lee, Young; Shin, Jong Chul; Kim, Soo Pyung

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate for the clinical analysis on abruptio placenta, we examined its incidence, diagnostic methods, symptom and sign, perinatal mortality, and recurrence rate.
METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of the 396 cases of abruptio placenta among 72.580 deliveries, from Jan. 1, 1990 to Dec. 31, 1997, at St. Mary, Kang Nam St. Mary, and Holy Family Hospital of Catholic University.
RESULTS
The total incidence of abruptio placenta was 0.51%, the incidence plotted by age from 1993 to 1997 has shown that the age incidence was higher in 20-24years old(0.7%), and over 35years old (0.8%). 42.5% of the case occurred between 32 to 37weeks of gestational age, 39.6% was over 37weeks. 38% of the patient was diagnosed before delivery with ultrasonography and the most common complaint was vaginal bleeding. The complication of abruptio placenta is as follows, Couvelaire uterus occurred in 26cases(7.0 %), DIC in 10cases(2.7 %), ARF in 4cases (1.1 %), and uterine rupture in 1case(0.3 %). Perinatal mortality including 41cases of stillbirth was 19.9 %(73cases) but no maternal death was noted. A history of abruptio placenta increased risk of a similar incident in a subsequent pregnancy by 19 cases(4.6 %: 9.0 fold)complicated with 13 cases of pregnancy induced hypertension(76.5 %).
CONCLUSION
The incidence of abruptio placenta plotted by age have shown higher in 20-25years old and over 35 years old, hypertensive women experienced abruptio placenta are more likely to have higher graded recurrent rate in subsequent pregnancy, and abruptio placenta is major obstetric bleeding disease causing serious maternal and fetal complication.