Management of amniocentesis in women with oligohydramnios due to membrane rupture: evaluation of a cervical adapter.

Thirty-five pregnant women with gestational age 22-37 completed weeks and with prelabour rupture of the membranes in the preterm period (PROM) volunteered to participate in the study. Sixteen women had a sterile cervical adapter, stopping the leakage of amniotic fluid, applied to the ectocervix for 24 h. The remaining 19 women were managed accordingly to prevailing expectant routine without the cervical adapter. All 35 women were assessed initially and after 24 h by ultrasound to obtain amniotic fluid index (AFI) registered. The results show that the average AFI value in the adapter group almost doubled while it changed insignificantly in the group without adapter. The difference in change between the two groups is significant (p < 0.001). There were no infectious complications in the newborn or in the mother. It is concluded that, in case amniocentesis is indicated to enable improved diagnostic accuracy in women with oligohydramnios due to PROM, application of the cervical adapter designed in this study will increase AFI and facilitate a less complicated amniocentesis.