Ch. 23 Prelabor Rupture of the Membranes

The full text of A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth (Oxford University Press, 2000) is freely available on this website courtesy of the authors: Murray Enkin, Marc J.N.C. Keirse, James Neilson, Caroline Crowther, Lelia Duley, Ellen Hodnett and Justus Hofmeyr. (A separate page provides information about this Guide.)

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Chapter 23. Prelabor rupture of the membranes

Introduction

Diagnosis

2.1		Ruptured membranes
2.2		Vaginal examination
2.3		Assessing the risk of infection
2.4		Assessing the risk of fetal immaturity

Preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes

3.1

Risks

3.2

Care before the onset of labor

3.2.1		Prophylactic antibiotics
3.2.2		Prophylactic tocolytics
3.2.3		Corticosteroid administration
3.2.4		Induction of labor

3.3

Care after the onset of labor

3.3.1		Antibiotics
3.3.2		Tocolytics
3.3.3		Amnio-infusion

Term prelabor rupture of the membranes

4.1		Induction of labor with oxytocin
4.2		Induction of labor with prostaglandins
4.3		Comparison of prostaglandins and oxytocin
4.4		Prophylactic antibiotics

Conclusions

Most recent page update: 3/8/2006

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