Placental Abruption
Placental abruption means the placenta separates from the wall of the womb too early before the baby is delivered.
When to get help quickly: This is an obstetric emergency. A pregnant woman with bleeding, abdominal pain, reduced baby movement, or collapse should go to the hospital urgently.
Common symptoms
Symptoms may include vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, back pain, a hard or tender womb, reduced baby movements, or feeling faint or unwell.
When imaging helps
Ultrasound may help look for bleeding behind the placenta and assess the baby, but the diagnosis can also depend heavily on the clinical picture.
What radiology does
Imaging helps assess the placenta and the baby, but doctors do not rely on scan findings alone if the symptoms strongly suggest abruption.
What usually happens next
Management depends on how severe the separation is, the bleeding, the baby’s condition, and the stage of pregnancy, and may require urgent delivery and close maternity care.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.