Download - Amniotic Fluid Colors
Amniotic Fluid Colors
• a. pale straw color – normal
• b. yellow stained/ dark amber
• = fetal hypoxia that occurred 36 hours or more before the rupture of membranes
• = fetal hemolytic disease (Rh or ABO incompatability, intrauterine infection)
• = Ominous sign of presence of Bilirubin, hemolytic disease
• Character – thick secretions with unpleasant odor = infection
• . Greenish: Meconium Stained / FETAL DISTRESS, Also if ph is less than 7.2
• greenish brown (meconium – sustained)
• = fetus had a hypoxic episode ---- relaxation of the anal sphincter ---- passage of meconium from the bowel
• = normal in breech presentation
• C If with odor: deliver within 24 hours, may indicate infection.
• d. Port Wine Color – admixture of amniotic fluid and blood - indication abruptio placenta
Test for rupture of membranes
• Voiding by an incontinent woman and leukorrhea should be differentiated from amniotic fluid.
• Spread a drop of the fluid on a clean slide. Dried amniotic fluid will show a fern like crystalline pattern when viewed under the microscope (positive fern test).
• Determine the pH of the vagina fluid. Amniotic fluid is slightly alkaline; urine or pus is acidic.
• With sterile speculum, us sterile cotton swabs to take samples of vaginal secretions at cervical os
• Test with pH paper (Nitrazine)
INTERPRETATION
• Yellow/Olive Yellow/Olive Green = pH5 to 6 (membrane probably intact)
• Blue green/blue gray/deep blue = pH 6.5 to 7.5 (ruptured membrane)
• Fetal lanugo or fetal squamous cell may be seen on the microscope
• Sudan III and Nile blue tests for detection of fetal fat particles and desquamated fetal aft cells