EFOG-EBCOG Part 1 key terms

The total number of times a woman has been pregnant, including the current pregnancy and all previous pregnancies regardless of outcome, counted as a single number recorded in her obstetric history.

The number of pregnancies a woman has carried beyond the threshold of viability, whether the infant was born alive or stillborn; multiple births from one pregnancy count as one para event.

A shorthand system recording a woman's obstetric history, typically four digits giving numbers of term births, preterm births, abortions, and living children, prefixed by gravidity.

The gestational age at which a fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving outside the uterus with or without support; the threshold varies by setting and is often set near 24 weeks.

Delivery occurring before 37 completed weeks of gestation; it is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity and is subclassified by gestational age into extreme, very, moderate, and late preterm.

A pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder defined by new-onset hypertension after 20 weeks with proteinuria or maternal organ dysfunction, reflecting widespread endothelial injury and placental dysfunction.

The occurrence of generalised tonic-clonic seizures in a woman with preeclampsia, in the absence of another neurological cause; a life-threatening emergency requiring magnesium sulfate and delivery.

A severe variant of preeclampsia characterised by haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, often presenting with right upper quadrant pain and carrying high maternal and perinatal risk.

Implantation of the placenta over or very near the internal cervical os, which may cause painless antepartum bleeding and typically requires caesarean delivery when the os is covered.

Premature separation of a normally implanted placenta from the uterine wall before delivery, presenting with painful vaginal bleeding, uterine tenderness, and fetal compromise.

Fetal blood vessels running through the membranes over or near the internal cervical os, unprotected by placental tissue or cord, risking rapid fetal exsanguination when membranes rupture.

Insertion of the umbilical cord into the fetal membranes rather than directly into the placental disc, leaving vessels unsupported as they run to the placenta.

Failure to deliver the fetal shoulders after delivery of the head, requiring specific manoeuvres; it is an obstetric emergency associated with brachial plexus injury and neonatal hypoxic injury.

Hyperflexion of the maternal hips against the abdomen to rotate the symphysis pubis and free an impacted anterior shoulder; usually combined with suprapubic pressure as first-line management.

Damage to the nerves of the brachial plexus, most often Erb palsy affecting the upper roots, sustained during difficult delivery; most cases resolve spontaneously but some leave permanent weakness.

A suture placed around the cervix to reinforce it in women with cervical insufficiency, typically inserted electively in the second trimester or as an emergency when the cervix shortens and dilates.

Painless premature shortening and dilatation of the cervix in the second trimester leading to pregnancy loss or preterm birth, diagnosed clinically or by ultrasound surveillance.

Bleeding from the genital tract after 24 weeks of gestation and before delivery; the main causes are placenta praevia, placental abruption, and local genital tract lesions.

Excessive bleeding after childbirth, conventionally blood loss of 500 mL or more after vaginal birth or 1000 mL or more after caesarean; uterine atony is the commonest cause.

Failure of the uterus to contract effectively after delivery, leaving placental vessels open and causing heavy bleeding; managed with uterine massage, uterotonics, and escalation to mechanical or surgical measures.

A consumptive coagulopathy with widespread activation of coagulation, causing microthrombi and depletion of clotting factors; in obstetrics it complicates abruption, haemorrhage, and sepsis.

A drug used intravenously to prevent and treat eclamptic seizures and for fetal neuroprotection in preterm delivery; requires monitoring for respiratory depression, oliguria, and loss of reflexes.

Simultaneous electronic recording of fetal heart rate and uterine contractions, interpreted by baseline rate, variability, accelerations, and decelerations to assess fetal wellbeing in labour.

A transient fall in fetal heart rate below baseline, classified as early, variable, or late; late and complicated variable patterns suggest fetal hypoxia and warrant further assessment.

Measurement of fetal scalp blood pH or lactate during labour when the cardiotocograph is abnormal, helping distinguish fetuses needing immediate delivery from those who can be observed.

Hyperglycaemia first recognised during pregnancy, reflecting insulin resistance of pregnancy; it increases risks of macrosomia, preeclampsia, and later maternal type 2 diabetes.

Excessive fetal size, commonly defined as estimated birthweight above 4000 to 4500 g; it increases the risk of shoulder dystocia, birth trauma, and caesarean delivery.

Maternal antibody formation against fetal red cell antigens, usually Rhesus D, after sensitising events; it can cause fetal anaemia and hydrops, prevented by anti-D prophylaxis.

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in at least two fetal compartments, such as ascites, pleural effusion, or skin oedema; causes include anaemia, infection, and cardiac or chromosomal abnormalities.

Implantation of a pregnancy outside the uterine cavity, most often in the fallopian tube; it may present with pain and bleeding and can rupture causing life-threatening haemorrhage.

A folate antagonist used systemically to treat selected early ectopic pregnancies and to manage gestational trophoblastic disease; it is teratogenic and contraindicated in ongoing intrauterine pregnancy.

Surgical removal of a fallopian tube, performed for ectopic pregnancy, hydrosalpinx, or as part of risk-reducing surgery; it differs from salpingostomy, which opens the tube to conserve it.

A common endocrine disorder diagnosed by oligo-ovulation, clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovarian morphology, associated with insulin resistance and anovulatory infertility.

Use of medication such as clomiphene, letrozole, or gonadotrophins to stimulate follicular development and ovulation in anovulatory women, with monitoring to limit multiple pregnancy risk.

An iatrogenic complication of ovarian stimulation with enlarged ovaries, capillary leak, ascites, and haemoconcentration; severe cases risk thrombosis and require fluid management and thromboprophylaxis.

Presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity, causing cyclical pain, dyspareunia, and infertility; diagnosis is clinical or laparoscopic, and treatment is medical or surgical.

Presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium, causing heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhoea, and an enlarged tender uterus; imaging or histology supports the diagnosis.

Heavy menstrual bleeding that interferes with quality of life, objectively often defined as more than 80 mL per cycle; common causes include fibroids, adenomyosis, and coagulopathy.

A benign leiomyoma of the myometrium, classified by location as subserosal, intramural, or submucosal; it may cause heavy bleeding, pressure symptoms, and subfertility.

Surgical removal of uterine fibroids with preservation of the uterus, chosen by women wishing to retain fertility; it carries risks of bleeding and later uterine rupture in pregnancy.

Pre-invasive squamous or glandular change of the cervix graded by severity, detected by cervical screening and colposcopy, and treated by excision to prevent progression to cancer.

Magnified examination of the cervix, vagina, and vulva after application of acetic acid and iodine to identify abnormal epithelium and guide biopsy or treatment of preinvasive disease.

Excision of the cervical transformation zone using a thin wire loop under colposcopic guidance, both diagnostic and therapeutic for cervical preinvasive disease, with risks of bleeding and preterm birth.

A spectrum of tumours arising from placental trophoblast, ranging from benign hydatidiform mole to choriocarcinoma, monitored by serial human chorionic gonadotrophin and treated with chemotherapy when persistent.

Twisting of the ovary and its vascular pedicle, causing sudden severe pain, nausea, and risk of ischaemia; urgent laparoscopic detorsion preserves ovarian function.

Excessive terminal hair growth in women in a male-pattern distribution, driven by androgen excess from ovarian or adrenal sources such as polycystic ovary syndrome or congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Painful menstruation, classified as primary when no pelvic pathology exists and secondary when caused by conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, or fibroids.

The permanent cessation of menstruation due to loss of ovarian follicular activity, diagnosed retrospectively after 12 months of amenorrhoea; it may be induced by surgery or treatment.

Oestrogen with or without progestogen given to relieve menopausal symptoms and prevent bone loss; risks and benefits depend on age, route, dose, and presence of a uterus.