What is the value of hospitalisation in antepartum haemorrhage of uncertain origin?

Abstract

This retrospective analysis was designed to determine the need for hospitalisation in cases of antepartum haemorrhage of uncertain origin (AUO). All the cases of AUO that presented at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital from February 1993 to December 1995 were analysed. AUO accounted for 72% of cases of antepartum, haemorrhage Hospitalisation of the cases of AUO conferred no benefit in terms of gestation at delivery, birth weight centile, 5 minutes Apgar score and recurrent haemorrhage. Also, the duration of stay in hospital was not significantly related to the gestation at delivery ( r = 0.084, P 0.05), the birth weight centile ( r = 0.032, P 0.05) or the Apgar score at 5 minutes ( r = 0.062, P 0.05). We conclude that it is not necessary to hospitalise women with AUO in the absence of heavy or repeated bleeding, evidence of fetal or maternal compromise on any suggestion of the onset of labour.