Re: Gravida and Parity

[Guest guest]

Just a quick question. How are you documenting a Patient's obstetrical

history? The Gravida and parity? For example we use G2 P5 for a Mom who has

had a single birth and then quads, and G5 P4 for a Mom who has had 1

miscarriage. Tonight an ER Dr showed me that we are doing it wrong and in

Obstetrics 20th edition, it states " Parity is not greater if a

single fetus, twins, or quintuplets were delivered, nor lower if the fetus

or fetuses were stillborn " . Anyone else?

Thanks,

Pat

[Guest guest]

Pat,

I was always taught that gravity was the # of pregnancies (multiple gestation

was still one preganacy) and Para was the number of pregnancies carried to 20

weeks. Therefore a stillborn would still count if it was still living at 20

weeks.

You've got me curious about the Multiple bit. I'm gonna be looking today!

, TX

[Guest guest]

The way that I was taught to chart is as follows:

You chart the gravity, then the parity, althought the parity consists of

four components. term, preterm, abortion (loss less than 20 weeks), living

children.

So if a woman had a single birth then quads, we would chart as (assuming the

quads were term LOL)

G2P2005 and if the quads were preterm:

G2P1105.

On the other hand A woman who has 5 pregnancies, 4 living children, and a

loss before 20 weeks would be:

G5P4014 and if the loss was greater than 20 weeks:

G5P5004.

As a side note, the parity is usually charted as a sub-character.

Hope this helps. I do find a great amount of discrepancy in the way that we

chart at my hospital. It would be much easier if everyone charted the same!

Kerry

>Pat,

>

>I was always taught that gravity was the # of pregnancies (multiple

>gestation

>was still one pregnancy) and Para was the number of pregnancies carried to

>20

>weeks. Therefore a stillborn would still count if it was still living at

>20

>weeks.

>

>You've got me curious about the Multiple bit. I'm gonna be looking today!

>

>, TX

>

>---------------------------

[Guest guest]

G = # pregancies

F or T = Full term or Term

P = Premature delivies (<37 wks)

A = Abortions, spontaneous or elective (Will see ectopics thrown in here too)

L = Living # of children

When recording just G__ P ___ , think of this P as meaning the number of

deliveries. Most OB's would agree, for example, that with twins, Mom has

delivered twice. Therefore, Mom with twins and no other kids would be a

G1P2. Ask the Mom who had twins: one vaginally and one by C/S how many

deliveries she had! Ask Bobbie (the Mom of the septuplets) how many

deliveries she had! This is why I think we should record G T P A L in our

assessments. It's much more clear. It will also tip you off in the event

that she has lost a child due to neonatal (or other) death. Important to

know and be sensitive to before you bop into the room and ask how old the big

brothers and sisters are.