A nurse is performing a digital examination on a client who is at 34 weeks of gestation and has pre-term labor.

Which of the following findings indicates cervical effacement?

Ultrasound.

An ultrasound can help determine the gestational age, fetal growth, placental location, and amniotic fluid volume of the fetus.

These factors can affect the risk of pre-term labor and delivery.

An ultrasound can also detect cervical changes that may indicate pre-term labor.

Choice B is wrong because a blood count is not specific for pre-term labor.

It may be done to check for anemia, infection, or other conditions that may affect the pregnancy, but it does not directly assess the risk of pre-term labor.

Choice C is wrong because a urine culture is not specific for pre-term labor.

It may be done to check for urinary tract infection, which can cause pre-term labor, but it does not directly assess the risk of pre-term labor.

Choice D is wrong because an amniocentesis is not usually done for pre-term labor.

It may be done to check for fetal lung maturity, chromosomal abnormalities, or infections, but it is an invasive procedure that carries some risks and complications.

It does not directly assess the risk of pre-term labor.

Tocolytics are a category of drugs used to delay the labor process.These may be used in situations when a pregnant person begins showing signs of preterm labor —which is any time before 37 weeks of completed pregnancy.Tocolytics may help delay labor by two to seven days.

Some possible explanations for the other choices are:

• Choice A. Administering intravenous fluids.

This is not a correct answer because intravenous fluids are not effective in suppressing uterine contractions.They may be used to correct dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, which can sometimes trigger preterm labor, but they are not a primary intervention for preterm labor.

• Choice C. Administering corticosteroids.

This is not a correct answer because corticosteroids are not tocolytics.They do not stop or slow down uterine contractions, but they help accelerate fetal lung maturity and reduce the risk of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and other complications of prematurity.

Corticosteroids are often given along with tocolytics, but they have a different function and mechanism of action.

• Choice D. Administering antibiotics.

This is not a correct answer because antibiotics are not tocolytics.They may be used to treat infections that can cause or complicate preterm labor, such as chorioamnionitis or group B streptococcus, but they do not directly affect uterine contractions.

Antibiotics may be given along with tocolytics, but they have a different function.