A Lesson

Lesson for you: Fetal Fibronectin Test (fFN)- a test where a swab is taken of the vaginal secretions at your cervix and looks for a protein (fetal fibronectin) that can predict if you are going to go into preterm labor within the next two weeks. It is usually used in high risk pregnancies or women experiencing signs of preterm labor.

A few nights ago a woman came in 24 weeks pregnant complaining of preterm labor. She had a history of 3 prior deliveries all between 24-30 weeks and also had no prenatal care for her current pregnancy. Obviously, we were all more than a little concerned for her. The midwife on call, who is very sweet and very hands on with her patients orders a fFN, and while this is something that is usually left for the nurses to collect she wanted to do it herself. I went along to assist.

After you collect the sample (on a long q-tip like swab) you place it in a long narrow container and send it to the lab. I hold the container for the midwife and most unfortunately her hand slips and now the sample has been smeared across my bare hand.

While I head to the sink and start scrubbing, she prepares a slide. I figuring she is looking for a "ferning" pattern that would indicate that the patients water is broken. Instead, once we get to the back and look under the microscope it turns out the patient has a raging trich infection.

Lesson for me: wear gloves any time anything with bodily fluids has even the most remote chance of missing its intended target.