A 35-week-gestation woman who was treated after a motor vehicle crash has the highest priority to assess for which complication?

A 35-week-gestation woman who was treated after a motor vehicle crash has the highest priority to assess for which complication?

• A. Placenta previa
• B. Polyhydramnios
• C. Abruptio placentae
• D. Gestational hypertension

Answer: (C)

In late-pregnancy trauma, the most urgent complication to assess for is placental abruption. The trauma can cause the placenta to detach from the uterine wall, which can quickly compromise fetal oxygenation and lead to heavy maternal bleeding, shock, and even coagulopathy. You’d look for signs such as sudden, intense abdominal pain, uterine tenderness or rigidity, contractions, and any vaginal bleeding, while continuously monitoring the fetal heart rate for distress. This contrasts with placenta previa, which typically causes painless vaginal bleeding and is less immediately tied to the trauma event, and with polyhydramnios or gestational hypertension, which are not acute trauma-related emergencies.

In late-pregnancy trauma, the most urgent complication to assess for is placental abruption. The trauma can cause the placenta to detach from the uterine wall, which can quickly compromise fetal oxygenation and lead to heavy maternal bleeding, shock, and even coagulopathy. You’d look for signs such as sudden, intense abdominal pain, uterine tenderness or rigidity, contractions, and any vaginal bleeding, while continuously monitoring the fetal heart rate for distress. This contrasts with placenta previa, which typically causes painless vaginal bleeding and is less immediately tied to the trauma event, and with polyhydramnios or gestational hypertension, which are not acute trauma-related emergencies.