Question

A woman in the perinatal clinic reports a gush of vaginal fluid after sneezing. The nurse performs a Nitrazine tape test and documents that the tape is beige in color. What action should the nurse take?

A. Ask the woman about recent sexual intercourse.
B. Assess the woman for urinary incontinence.
C. Arrange for the woman to be admitted to the birthing unit.
D. Inquire if the woman has symptoms of a vaginal infection.

Answer 1

The nurse should assess the woman for urinary incontinence since the beige Nitrazine tape test suggests the fluid is likely urine, not amniotic fluid. Further evaluation is needed if any other symptoms indicate a rupture of membranes or infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a woman in the perinatal clinic reports a gush of vaginal fluid after sneezing, and the Nitrazine tape test indicates a beige color, this means that the tape has not changed color, suggesting the fluid is more likely to be urine or normal vaginal secretions and not amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid will usually cause the Nitrazine tape to change color, typically towards blue, due to its more alkaline pH, whereas urine has an acidic or neutral pH that does not change the tape color significantly. Therefore, the correct action the nurse should take, based on the provided vignettes which do not suggest labor or complications like preterm rupture of membranes (PROM), would be option B: Assess the woman for urinary incontinence. However, if there is any doubt or if other symptoms are present that could suggest a rupture of membranes or infection, further assessment and clinical judgement would be warranted.