MEDizzy - A multigravid client at 34 weeks’ gestation visits the

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The Pregnant Client with Preterm Labor

A multigravid client at 34 weeks’ gestation visits the hospital because she suspects that her water has broken. After testing the leaking fluid with nitrazine paper, the nurse confirms that the client’s membranes have ruptured when the paper turns which of the following colors?

ExplanationIf the client’s membranes have ruptured, the nitrazine paper will turn blue, an alkaline reaction. False positives may occur when the nitrazine paper is exposed to blood or semen. The definitive test for rupture of membranes is fern testing, where amniotic fluid is allowed to dry on a slide and then viewed under a microscope. Dried amniotic fluid will form a fern pattern. No other fluid forms this type of pattern.