lochia alba


lochia

 [lo´ke-ah] a vaginal discharge occurring after childbirth. Lochia discharge should be checked every 15 minutes for the first hour after delivery, once every hour for the first 8 hours, and then every 8 hours. adj., adj lo´chial.lochia al´ba the final vaginal discharge after childbirth, largely mucus, when the amount of blood is decreased and the leukocytes are increased; it is usually of 10 to 14 days' duration but may last for 6 weeks.lochia cruen´ta lochia rubra.lochia purulen´ta lochia alba.lochia ru´bra that occurring immediately after childbirth, consisting of blood, fragments of decidua, and mucus. It usually lasts from 1 to 3 days.lochia sanguinolen´ta (lochia sero´sa) the vaginal discharge occurring 3 to 10 days after delivery. It is pink or brown-tinged and contains blood, mucus, and leukocytes.

lo·chi·a al·'ba

the last discharge no longer tinged with blood.

lochia alba

The third stage of the postpartum healing process, when the vaginal discharge is no longer tinged with blood. This stage may last 5 to 6 weeks postpartum. An offensive odor indicates contamination by saprophytic organisms. Synonym: lochia purulentaSee also: lochia