EMQ — Extended Matching Question · Review
Question 35
Feto-maternal medicine → Perinatology
Classification
Question
EEMQAnswer Bank
Correct Answer
Explanation
Before invasive prenatal diagnosis, maternal blood-borne virus status should be reviewed. Where HIV status is unknown, RCOG recommends delaying the invasive procedure until the woman's HIV status is known. This permits appropriate counselling and management of transmission risk. For women receiving effective antiretroviral therapy with an undetectable viral load, mother-to-child transmission risk is very low, but that information cannot be incorporated into procedural planning when HIV status has not yet been established. Proceeding first and testing later unnecessarily removes the opportunity to individualise care before an invasive intervention.
Option Validity
A) Unknown HIV status should be clarified before invasive testing.
B) Maternal blood-borne virus status remains relevant when CVS is considered.
C) Maternal blood-borne virus status remains relevant when amniocentesis is considered.
D) Antibiotics do not replace assessment of maternal HIV status.
E) A normal fetal ultrasound does not remove the need to establish maternal HIV status.
F) Testing after the invasive procedure removes the opportunity to individualise pre-procedure management.
H) Unknown HIV status warrants delay for assessment, not permanent cancellation of diagnosis.
Further Reading
Navaratnam K, Alfirevic Z; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling: Green-top Guideline No. 8. BJOG 2022;129:e1-e15. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16821.