How do you diagnose a placental abruption?

Quickly + FHT's: Placental abruption is a true OB emergency as the fetal heart tones(fht's) will drop on monitoring and intervention to save the fetus needs to be immediate.

Symptoms, Ultrasound: Abruption is a bleed from the placenta; a disruption of either the mother or baby's blood supply. Many causes: trauma, high blood pressure, drugs (cocaine), preterm labor, polyhydramnios. Can be very large or very small, so even US can miss a diagnosis. Symptoms: usually preterm contractions, sometimes vaginal bleed. Fetal monitoring is necessary. Wait, watch; abruption can self-heal sometimes.