abruptio placentae
Noun A serious medical condition occurring during pregnancy where the placenta detaches from the inner wall of the uterus before childbirth. This premature separation can compromise the oxygen and nutrient supply to the fetus and cause significant bleeding in the mother.
"Abruptio placentae" is a formal medical term. It is typically used in clinical, emergency, and academic contexts by healthcare professionals. It describes a specific obstetric emergency.
- The patient was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, diagnosed as abruptio placentae.
- Abruptio placentae is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity.
- Risk factors for abruptio placentae include hypertension, trauma, and advanced maternal age.
The term is often used in differential diagnoses and medical documentation. It may be contrasted with placenta previa, another serious placental disorder where the placenta covers the cervix.
- Placental abruption: This is a more common, descriptive synonym for "abruptio placentae" and is frequently used in both medical and layperson contexts.
- Abruption (noun): A shortened, informal form sometimes used in medical shorthand (e.g., "suspected abruption").
- Placental abruption
- Premature separation of the placenta
This term refers exclusively to the pathological, premature detachment. The normal, timely separation of the placenta after the baby is born is simply called the "delivery of the placenta" or the "third stage of labor" and is not described by this term.
- a disorder of pregnancy in which the placenta prematurely separates from the wall of the uterus