Ablatio Placentae - Placenta Abruptio

Diagnosis & Tests

How is the condition diagnosed?

A woman's doctor will look at her medical history and consider any symptoms. He or she also will look for any signs of fetal distress and for tenderness or increased tightness over the uterus. Based on this information, the provider may suspect placenta abruptio.

The diagnosis can be confirmed if:

  • a pregnancy ultrasound shows a clot behind the placenta
  • a complete blood count, called CBC, shows decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets
  • a bleeding tendency is found with clotting tests such as a prothrombin time, or PT
  • the baby's heart rate or rhythm is abnormal