Word parts
What it means
Guided by ultrasound, a small amount of the fluid around the fetus is removed and tested. It is done most often in the second trimester to check for genetic conditions, and sometimes later to look for infection or to check how mature the fetal lungs are. There is a small risk of miscarriage, leaking fluid or infection.
For the nurse
Monitor the fetal heart rate and the client before and after. Teach the client to report cramping, fluid leaking from the vagina, bleeding or fever. An Rh-negative client receives Rho(D) immune globulin afterward.
At a glance
| Spanish | amniocentesis |
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Related terms
ultrasound
An imaging test that uses high-frequency sound waves to make pictures of the inside of the body.
Rh factor
A protein that may be present on the surface of red blood cells; people who have it are Rh-positive and those without it are Rh-negative.