Ojaswini Patel, Sharmila Pradhan, Mihir Meher, Bulu Naik
BACKGROUND
The incidence of PROM is about 10% of all pregnancies and 70% of them occur at term. Most of the Indian studies document an incidence of 7-12% for PROM of which 60-70% occurs at term. Rest of the 30-40% is contributed at preterm. The aim of the study is to study the usefulness of maternal CRP measurements in diagnosis of chorioamnionitis, puerperal endometritis, neonatal infectious morbidities and mortalities among patients with PROM ( both term and preterm).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This is a hospital-based cross-sectional observational study where 100 premature rupture of membrane cases were diagnosed and observed for fetomaternal outcome by doing routine clinical, biochemical and serum CRP examinations.
RESULTS
Maximum number of chorioamnionitis (16%) has developed when duration of rupture was for more than 36 hrs. PROM patients with latent period of ≥36 hrs had poorer neonatal outcome; i.e. 54.83% neonatal morbidity and 84.61% neonatal mortality were seen when duration of rupture was more than 36 hrs. 47.36% of CRP positive PROM women had developed chorioamnionitis during the course of delivery or postpartum. 49.12% of CRP positive PROM women had developed preterm delivery. CRP positive PROM women had poorer neonatal outcome; i.e. 82.35% neonatal morbidity and mortality has noted in babies delivered from CRP positive mother.
CONCLUSION
Careful antenatal monitoring, detection and prompt treatment of infection is necessary. Strict aseptic precautions, appropriate therapy, regular antenatal follow up are important features in the prevention and management of PROM. Evaluation of CRP in blood has helped to predict development of chorioamnionitis and preterm delivery following PROM and also perinatal morbidity and mortality.