Placental abruption: Pathophysiology, prevalence, etiology, clinical manifestations, and roles of paramedics and EMS
Keywords:
placental abruption, preterm labor, fetal complications, paramedics, emergency medical services, pathophysiology, managementAbstract
Background: Placental abruption refers to the premature separation of a normally implanted placenta after the 20th week of gestation, often leading to maternal and fetal complications. It is classified as revealed or concealed, depending on the presence of vaginal bleeding. The condition’s prevalence varies by region and is associated with various risk factors, including trauma, hypertension, and a history of prior abruption. Aim: This paper explores the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and prevalence of placental abruption, emphasizing the roles of paramedics and emergency medical services (EMS) in the management of affected patients. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted, examining studies on the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of placental abruption. The roles of paramedics and EMS in early identification, stabilization, and transport were highlighted. Results: Placental abruption affects approximately 1.2% of pregnancies, with a higher incidence in certain populations. The condition presents symptoms such as abdominal pain, back pain, and bleeding. Diagnosis often involves ultrasound, although its sensitivity is limited. Management depends on the severity of the abruption and gestational age, with early intervention critical for maternal and fetal outcomes.
Downloads
References
Oyelese Y, Ananth C. Placental abruption. Obstet Gynecol. 2006;108: 1005-1016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000239439.04364.9a
Ananth C, Keyes K, Hamilton A, et al. An international contrast of rates of placental abruption: an age-period-cohort analysis. PLoS ONE. 2015;10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125246
Tikkanen M. Placental abruption: epidemiology, risk factors and consequences. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2011;90:140-149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0412.2010.01030.x
Ananth C, Savitz D, Williams M. Placental abruption and its association with hypertension and prolonged rupture of membranes: a methodologic review and meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol. 1996;88:309-318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0029-7844(96)00088-9
Stella C, Sibai B. Thrombophilia and adverse maternal-perinatal outcome. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2006;49:850-860. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.grf.0000211954.66959.e1
Zdoukopoulos N, Zintzaras E. Genetic risk factors for placental abruption: a HuGE review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology. 2006;19:309-323. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181635694
Denis M, Enquobahrie D, Tadesse M, et al. Candidate gene association study of placental abruption. PLoS ONE. 2014;9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116346
Brown H. Trauma in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2009;114:147-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181ab6014
Dommisse J, Tiltman A. Placental bed biopsies in placental abruption. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1992;99:651-654. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1992.tb13848.x
Blumenfeld Y, Baer R, Druzin M, et al. Association between maternal characteristics, abnormal serum aneuploidy analytes, and placental abruption. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2014;211:144.e1-144.e9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2014.03.027
Parker S, Werler M, Gissler M, et al. Placental abruption and subsequent risk of pre-eclampsia: a population-based case–control study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2015;29:211-219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12184
Rai S, Singh R. Couvelaire uterus with coagulopathy—a rare case report. Int J Sci Appl Res. 2014;3:364-365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15373/22778179/APR2014/129
Hurd W, Miodovnik M, Hertzberg V, et al. Selective management of abruptio placentae: a prospective study. Obstet Gynecol. 1983;61:467-473.
Ananth C, VanderWeele T. Placental abruption and perinatal mortality with preterm delivery as a mediator: disentangling direct and indirect effects. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174:99-108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwr045
Karegard M, Gennser G. Incidence and recurrence rate of abruptio placentae in Sweden. Obstet Gynecol. 1986;67:523-528.
Nyberg D, Mack L, Benedetti T, et al. Placental abruption and placental hemorrhage: correlation of sonographic findings with fetal outcome. Radiology. 1987;164:357-361. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1148/radiology.164.2.3299486
Nyberg D, Cyr D, Mack L, et al. Sonographic spectrum of placental abruption. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1987;148:161-164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.148.1.161
Scholl J. Abruptio Placentae: Clinical management in nonacute cases. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987;156:40-51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9378(87)90200-6
Glantz C, Purnell L. Clinical utility of sonography in the diagnosis and treatment of placental abruption. J Ultrasound Med. 2002;21:837-840. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7863/jum.2002.21.8.837
Riihimaki O, Metsaranta M, Ritvanen A, et al. Anomalies in births with placental abruption. Obstet Gynecol. 2014;122:268-274. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0b013e31829a6f91
Masselli G, Brunelli R, DiTola M, et al. MR imaging in the evaluation of placental abruption: correlation with sonographic findings. Radiology. 2011;259:222-230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.10101547
Wei S, Helmy M, Cohen A. CT evaluation of placental abruption in pregnant trauma patients. Emerg Radiol. 2009;16:365-373. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-009-0804-z
Neilson J. Interventions for treating placental abruption. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001998
Gyamfi-Bannerman C, Thom E, Blackwell S, et al. Antenatal betamethasone for women at risk for late preterm delivery. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:1311-1320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1516783
Bond A, Edersheim T, Curry L, et al. Expectant management of abruptio placentae before 35 weeks’ gestation. Am J Perinatol. 1989;6:121-123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-999561
Towers C, Pircon P, Heppard M. Is tocolysis safe in the management of third-trimester bleeding? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999;180:1572-1578. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9378(99)70053-0
Hladky K, Yankowitz J, Hansen W. Placental abruption. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2002;57:299-305. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00006254-200205000-00022
Ananth C, Oyelese Y, Yeo L, et al. Placental abruption in the United States, 1979 through 2001: temporal trends and potential determinants. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005;192:191-198. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2004.05.087
Ruiter L, Ravellia A, de Graaf I, et al. Incidence and recurrence rate of placental abruption: a longitudinal linked national cohort study in the Netherlands. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2015;213:573.e1-573.e8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2015.06.019
Boisrame T, Sananes N, Fritz G, et al. Placental abruption: risk factors, management and maternal-fetal prognosis. Cohort study over 10 years. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2014;179:100-104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.05.026
Merriam, A., & D'Alton, M. E. (2018). Placental abruption. In Obstetric Imaging: Fetal Diagnosis and Car e (pp. 426-429). Elsevier. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-44548-1.00096-6
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2019 International journal of life sciences

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles published in the International Journal of Life Sciences (IJLS) are available under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors retain copyright in their work and grant IJLS right of first publication under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles in this journal, and to use them for any other lawful purpose.
Articles published in IJLS can be copied, communicated and shared in their published form for non-commercial purposes provided full attribution is given to the author and the journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
This copyright notice applies to articles published in IJLS volumes 4 onwards. Please read about the copyright notices for previous volumes under Journal History.








