Preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes (PPROM) refers to the disruption of fetal membranes before the beginning of labor, resulting in spontaneous leakage of amniotic fluid. PROM, which occurs prior to 37 weeks of gestation, defined as preterm PROM. The definition is similarly defined by ACOG, NICE, RANZCOG and World Health Organization (WHO).
PROM occurs in approximately 5%-10% of all pregnancies, of which approximately 80% occur at term.
There are numerous risk factors for PPROM, such as intrauterine infection at early gestational age, lower socioeconomic status of pregnant women, inadequate prenatal care and inadequate nutrition during pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, vaginal bleeding, and smoking during pregnancy.
PPROM is linked to significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. It has been shown to be the cause of 18%-20% and 21.4% of prenatal mortalities and morbidity respectively.
Complications of PPROM for the fetus and newborn consist of prematurity, fetal distress, cord compression, deformation and altered pulmonary development leading to pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and neurologic disorder.
Infectious morbidities in mother, fetus and newborn have been related to both PROM and prolonged rupture of membranes. Maternal complications include intra-amniotic infection, which occurs in 13%-60% of women with PROM, placental abruption, and postpartum endometritis.
Diagnosis of ROM is usually made by observing leakage of the amniotic fluid or by observing the amniotic fluid pooling in the vaginal vault.A golden standard method has not yet been defined in PROM. Diagnostic tests should be used when the diagnosis is not certain following history, examination with sterile speculum and ultrasonography evaluation. Among biochemical tests, PAMG-1 and IGFBP-1 have the features of being easily applicable tests. PAMG-1 comes into prominence with its high sensitivity and specificity. Results of tests used in PROM diagnosis must be supported by clinical findings But in Low resource settings may not have access to some tests due to their cost.
In practice, most complaints of fluid leakage are not due to membrane rupture. However, a complaint of fluid leakage warrants at least a speculum examination to check for amniotic fluid pooling. Speculum examinations are invasive and performing a speculum examination on a patient with the complaint of fluid leakage may be of no consequence when PPROM is ruled out. However, speculum examinations association with the latency periods in PPROM cases is not known and sterile vaginal examinations have been proven to shorten latency periods.
Speculum examination and digital vaginal examination are both similarly invasive in nature, and it may be possible speculum examinations can shorten latency periods as well. Women commonly experience anxiety and fear before and during a pelvic examination. Anxiety or fear has been reported in 21%- 64% of women. Additional studies have reported women experiencing embarrassment of up to 52%, anxiety in 21%-49% and pain in 22%-68%.
The hypothesis of this study is that transperineal ultrasound can be an accurate exam for diagnosis of PPROM and assess of cervical length, effacement and presenting parts in addition to umbilical cord prolapse with less patients anxiety.
