What does a positive fern test mean?

The proteins and saline content of amniotic fluid crystallize on a slide when dry yielding the appearance of ferns. A positive test shows the presence of fern-like patterns characteristic of amniotic fluid crystals.

What does fern pattern suggest in a fern test of the cervical mucus?

Ferning occurs due to the presence of sodium chloride in mucus under estrogen effect. When high levels of estrogen are present, just before ovulation, the cervical mucus forms fern-like patterns due to crystallization of sodium chloride on mucus fibers. This pattern is known as arborization or ‘ferning’.

How do you test a fern?

Examine the air-dried smear under the microscope without a coverslip and using low power magnification (10x magnification). I. Dried amniotic fluid produces a microscopically visible crystallization in a “fern” pattern. Dried normal vaginal fluid does not produce a “fern” pattern.

What causes false positive ferning?

False positive results can be due to the presence of alkaline fluids in the vagina, such as blood, seminal fluid, soap, or some infections. Another confirmatory test is the presence of arborization (ferning).

What is the fern test used for?

The fern test is used to aid the physician in the diagnosis of ruptured membranes by detecting the presence of amniotic fluid. This fluid, when placed on a glass slide, is allowed to dry.

Does Ferning indicate pregnancy?

For decades, scientists have known that if a woman’s saliva forms a telltale “ferning” pattern – a bit like frost crystals under the microscope – it is the time of month when she is most likely to get pregnant.

Can Ferning indicate pregnancy?

For decades, scientists have known that if a woman’s saliva forms a telltale “ferning” pattern – a bit like frost crystals under the microscope – it is the time of month when she is most likely to get pregnant. But it’s only now that saliva-based fertility testers are springing up all over the US market.

What causes false positive nitrazine test?

Nitrazine test may also lead to false positive or negative results due to probable contamination by alkaline urine, semen, blood, meconium, vaginitis, cervicitis and using antibiotics.

Can you get a false positive Amnisure?

Amnisure does have a high false positive rate, noted to be 19-30% in patients who were later found to have intact membranes by clinical measures, including negative pooling, arborization, and nitrizine.

Is Ferning accurate?

Results: Salivary ferning test by KNOWHEN ovulation microscope is accurate method of detecting ovulation. Its accuracy was 86.5%. Conclusions: Salivary ferning test is a reliable test to detect fertile period of menstrual cycle.

What does fern pattern mean in cervical mucus test?

Probably membranes are ruptured. Fern pattern, i.e. palm leaf pattern is observed when amniotic fluid crystallizes as it dries on a glass surface. Observation of a fern pattern indicates the presence of amniotic fluid. Beaded or cellular appearance of cervical mucus. Click HERE to Report test errors or omissions.

What does a fern test mean for amniotic fluid?

Amniotic fluid plays an essential role in fetal development. When cervical mucus from a pregnant woman is tested, it should have minimal to no ferning, indicating that the sample just contains mucus. When leafy patterns appear, it indicates that some amniotic fluid is present in the sample.

When do you get a positive fern test?

(October 2016) Positive Fern test. Fern test refers to detection of a characteristic ‘fern like’ pattern of cervical mucus when a specimen of cervical mucus is allowed to dry on a glass slide and is viewed under a low-power microscope.

What does it mean when your saliva is fern shaped?

When your estrogen increases near your time of ovulation, your dried saliva may form a fern-shaped pattern. What type of test is this? This is a qualitative test — you find out whether or not you may be near your ovulation time, not if you will definitely become pregnant. Why should you do this test?