Question

A 24 weeks pregnant client already enrolled in your antenatal care programme has reported to your maternity centre with a complaint of recurrent abdominal pain. Outline the complete health history that you will want to obtain from her that will provide clues to the diagnosis of her illness. (Please limit your answer to the health history only)

Answer 1

The complete health history which has to be obtained in order to diagnose the illness are

• The duration, intensity of the pain because most of the abdominal pain can occur after 20-24weeks because of the stretch occurring in the round ligament as the fetus grows and the womb of the mother simultaneously
• Presence of any discharge with color to rule out any infection causing abdominal pain
• Assess for any bleeding this can be a sign of danger to fetus and mother and can be cause of abdominal pain
• Physical examination
• Assess fetal heart rate
• Question regarding the movement of the fetus ,contractions
• Assess for bowel sounds
• Monitor basic vital signs of the mother RI rule out any basic changes