Simultaneous real-time ultrasound scanning and pelvic examination in assessment of pelvic disease.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L D Platt.
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A retrospective evaluation was undertaken of 78 Rh-negative women who underwent genetic amniocentesis without Rh-immune globulin prophylaxis. Of the 56 patients at risk for sensitization, 3 (5.4%) became sensitized during the pregnancy in which amniocentesis was performed. This number is not statistically different from the 2.1% incidence of spontaneous Rh immunization during pregnancy. However, a trend toward increasing sensitization after second-trimester amniocentesis was noted. As the fetoplacental blood volume at 16 weeks' gestation is approximately 12 to 13 ml, a 150-micrograms dose of Rh-immune globulin is recommended for the Rh-negative patient who is undergoing genetic amniocentesis.
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The efficacy of real-time ultrasound for the diagnosis of fetal death or hydatidiform mole was evaluated during a 1-year period. During this time, 116 patients were referred to the obstetric ultrasound service for the confirmation of clinical diagnoses. In 24 of 46 patients (52%) presenting in the first half of pregnancy, the referring diagnosis was confirmed. In 1 case of an early intrauterine pregnancy with a degenerating myoma, the ultrasound diagnosis of molar pregnancy was in error. In 48 of 70 patients (69%) referred after 20 weeks' gestation, the clinical diagnosis was confirmed. In no instance was either a false-positive or false-negative diagnosis made with real-time ultrasound in the last half of pregnancy. This method should prove to be the method of choice in diagnosing intrauterine fetal death.
To study quantitatively the effect of urinary bladder distention on labor and uterine activity, 68 patients requiring catheterization were studied. All patients were in the active phase of labor and had transcervical intrauterine pressure monitoring. Patients were studied in the same lateral position for 30 minutes before and after a catheterization interval, during which time uterine activity units were quantitated on line and changes were noted in cervical dilation and station and contraction frequency and tonus. Results were analyzed for the entire study group, for individual patients, and by urine volumes (10 to 550 ml) obtained at catheterization. Total uterine activity units increased in 43 patients and decreased in 25 after catheterization, but when compared with expected increases calculated from the slopes of the precatheterization interval in individual patients, there were 36 increases and 32 decreases. Individual slopes of uterine activity increased in 36 and decreased in 31 cases. There were no differences when the data were analyzed by urine volume, parity, or bith weight except possibly at large volumes. Changes in rates of cervical dilation and descent of the presenting part conform to the expected normal labor pattern. Within the limits of this study, emptying the urinary bladder has no effect on the course of labor or uterine activity based on the dynamic model of labor.
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The fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) was measured at the time of real-time ultrasound-directed amniocentesis in 159 cases and a phospholipid profile was obtained from the amniotic fluid. BPD measurements of 9.0, 8.7, and 9.2 cm were then compared with a lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio greater than or equal to 2.0 for the ability to predict the presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in the profile. The data from the diabetic and nondiabetic patients were analyzed separately. The results demonstrated that in the presence of a L/S ratio greater than or equal to 2.0 the BPD does not aid in the identification of amniotic fluid samples which contain PG in either the diabetic or nondiabetic groups. The data also confirmed previous findings that the BPD is not a reliable predictor of the L/S ratio. It is concluded that for the detection of PG in amniotic fluid, the use of real-time ultrasonic cephalometry cannot substitute for the performance of the phospholipid profile.
To evaluate the role of anaerobic bacteria in postpartum endomyometritis, intravenous metronidazole was used as the sole initial therapy in 25 women with clinical signs of infection. This agent has not been shown to have activity against aerobic pathogens in soft tissue pelvic infections. A clinical cure was obtained in 21 of 25 (84%) with oral metronidazole utilized after the patient had been afebrile for at least 24 hours. The mean fever index of the 21 successfully treated women was 35.9 degree hours with a SD of +/-30 hours. The four patients with treatment failure required alternate antibiotics and the mean fever index of these patients was 138.0 degree hours. Transcervical endometrial cultures were obtained prior to therapy in 24 women. Anaerobes were recovered in every instance with a total of 67 isolates, a mean of 2.8 per patient. The most common isolates were peptococcus and Bacteroides species. A culdocentesis was performed concurrently in 23 women. Anaerobes were recovered in 20 (87%) with a total of 55 isolates. The most frequent isolates were peptococcus and Bacteroides fragilis. In 23 women in whom paired transcervical endometrial and cul-de-sac cultures were obtained, at least one common organism was isolated in 18 (78%). Both the successful clinical response to metronidazole and the paired culture results suggest that anaerobic organisms have an important role in endomyometritis following vaginal delivery.
The incidence of fetal breathing movements (FBMs) has been observed to be significantly reduced at 24 and 48 hours after amniocentesis. The cause is unknown. We studied the immediate effects of amniocentesis on two fetal variables, FBMs and gross body movements (FMs). No effect was observed in the incidence of FBMs but an immediate increase in FMs occurred.
Three hundred ninety-eight observations of fetal breathing movements (FBM) and the nonstress test (NST) were made in 223 patients. The presence of FBM was noted in a significantly higher proportion of tests with a reactive NST (88%) than a nonreactive NST (67%). Conversely, a significantly higher proportion of tests were reactive when FBM were present (82.6%) than when FBM were absent (49%). A significant relationship existed betweeen either test and the outcome of pregnancy as judged by the five minute Apgar score or the incidence of fetal distress in labor. Combining two normal tests did not improve the accuracy in predicting outcome; but the combination of both tests, when abnormal, produced a significant improvement in predicting fetuses likely to have an abnormal outcome. The combination of the normal with the abnormal test had a predictive accuracy similar to a single normal test in predicting a normal five-minute Apgar. This combination was associated with an incidence of fetal distress in labor intermediate between that seen with either the normal or abnormal test when alone. Neither a single test nor the combination of tests was helpful in identifying the small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants. These data indicate antepartum fetal evaluation may be improved when more than one biophysical variable is used.
The presence or absence of fetal breathing movements (FBMs) in a 30 minute observation period was determined in 29 patients with abnormal contraction stress tests (CSTs). The study population included 14 patients with positive CSTs, 11 patients with equivocal CSTs, and four patients with unclassified CSTs. In patients with either an equivocal or a positive CST, the presence of FBMs was associated with a high incidence of false predictive tests. Conversely, the absence of FBMs in a patient with a positive CST was uniformly associated with intrapartum fetal distress. The presence or absence of FBMs was not helpful in assessing the patients with unclassified CSTs. These data suggest FBMs may be a useful means of evaluating the patient with a positive or equivocal CST.
Fetal movements (FM) were measured using a real-time B-scan method in 50 women in the third trimester. One hundred ninety-five observations were made. The number of FM per 20-minute observation period was similar in normal, diabetic, and hypertensive pregnancies and in patients with placenta previa, but was significantly lower in patients with Rh isoimmunization and an affected fetus. The number of FM did not vary with gestational age, mode of delivery, or birth weight and was significantly increased in patients either with a reactive nonstress test (NST) or in the presence of fetal breathing movements (FBM). Fetal movements were absent before delivery in 4 patients: In 3, the fetus died in utero and in the other a positive contraction stress test (CST) was observed. Conversely, in 2 other fetuses who died in utero, FM were observed during the last examination before death. In both, the cause of fetal death was related to an acute change. No relationship between FM and neonatal death was observed. These data suggest FM monitoring may be helpful in evaluating antepartum fetal condition.
Congenital heart block is an unusual cause of fetal bradycardia. Until recently, the diagnosis could be confirmed only by evaluation of the fetal cardiac electrical activity. Two cases are reported in which the diagnosis of atrio-ventricular (A-V) dissociation was confirmed in the antepartum period by real-time ultrasound evaluation of cardiac mechanical activity.
Fetal breathing movements (FBM) were observed daily using a real-time B-mode ultrasound method in a patient with sickle cell anemia in crisis. Observations were made on 2 occasions in the presence of maternal hypoxemia (PO2 less than or equal to 40 mmHg), and FBM were noted to be absent. Conversely, when maternal PO2 was 60 mmHg or greater, FBM were present 23--80% of the time. The FBM were reduced or absent within 90 minutes of maternal Demerol injection. These observations suggest that the human fetal response to hypoxemia may be similar to that observed under expermental conditions in the animal fetus.
Until recently, the relative inaccessibility of the human fetus to physical assessment has made antepartum assessment of its condition difficult. The development of methods for accurate antepartum fetal heart rate monitoring and the subsequent study of heart rate responses to various stimuli have resulted in a significant improvement in accuracy of antepartum fetal surveillance. The development of real time B-mode ultrasound enables the clinician to assess many additional fetal biophysical variables including fetal breathing movements. In our observations, the combination of heart rate and fetal breathing assessment has produced a significant improvement in differentiating the normal from the compromised fetus. The addition of other biophysical variables (tone, movements and amniotic fluid volume) have further refined the ability to identify the fetus at risk. At this point, we have evaluated only a few of many possible variables. It seems probable that, as other fetal biophysical variables are included with the overall assessment, for example fetal reflexes or fetal biophysical response to exogenous stimuli, the identification of the fetus at risk and the quantitation of the magnitude of risk will become increasingly more precise.
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