Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling (PUBS) also known as cardocentesis or funicentesis is a diganostic procedure that is performed to detect fetal abnormalities and other fetal conditions during the pre-natal period. Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling procedure is performed after 18 weeks of gestation and it involves the aspiration of the fetal blood from the umbilical vein by use of a fine needle, guided by a sonography or ultraound.

 

A sample of the blood is then removed for further analysis. Such as;

 

To ensure that the blood aspirated during Percutaneous Umblical Blood Sampling procedure is the fetal blood and not maternal blood, the fetal sample blood is then submitted for Kleihauer-Betke (KB). This is a blood test that is used to measure the amount of fetal hemoglobin that have been transferred from a fetus to the mother. 

 

If the mother is Rh-negative, RHIG is given to prevent sensitization, since there is a possibility that the fetal blood may have mixed with maternal blood during the procedure. The fetus is then monitored before and after the procedure with non-stress test and ultrasound to make sure bleeding and contractions does not occur.

 

Complication of Percutaneous Umblical Blood Sampling

Possible complications associated with the Percutaneous Umblical Blood Sampling are: