http://www.fpnotebook.com/
Vaginal Fluid pH
Aka: Vaginal Fluid pH, Nitrazine Paper, Nitrazine
- See Also
- Premature Rupture of Membranes
- Ferning of Vaginal Fluid
- Vaginal Pooling
- Indications
- Evaluation for Premature Rupture of Membranes
- Mechanism
- Nitrazine Paper relies on Prussian blue reaction
- Requires alkaline paper to cause reaction
- Technique
- Obtain fluid for exam (usually after Vaginal Pooling)
- Place Nitrazine Paper in fluid
- Paper turns bright blue in alkaline fluid
- Interpretation: Nitrazine Paper
- Normal Vaginal pH 4.5-6.0: Paper does not change color
- Ruptured Vaginal pH 7.1-7.3: Suggests PROM (paper blue)
- Causes: False Positive Nitrazine positive (pH >7)
- Blood
- Semen
- Antiseptic solutions
- Urine with increased pH (alkaline urine)
- Vaginal infection (Bacterial Vaginosis)
- Efficacy
- Accuracy for amniotic fluid: 87-97%
- References
- Bennett (1993) Am J Perinatol 10(2):101-4