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Biomedical subjects

Michael C Klein

Publications and source records attributed to Michael C Klein.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Guidelines for operative vaginal birth.

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidelines for operative vaginal birth in the management of the second stage of labour. OPTIONS: Non-operative techniques, episiotomy, and Caesarean section are compared to operative vaginal birth. outcome: Reduced fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. EVIDENCE: MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched using the key words 'vacuum' and 'birth' as well as 'forceps' and 'birth' for literature published in English from January 1970 to June 2004. The level of evidence and quality of recommendations made are described using the Evaluation of Evidence from the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Non-operative interventions such as one-to-one support, partogram use, oxytocin use, and delayed pushing in women using epidurals will decrease need for operative birth. (I-A) 2. Manual rotation may be used alone or in conjunction with instrumental birth with little or no increased risk to the pregnant woman or to the fetus. (III-B) 3. Routine episiotomy is not necessary for an assisted vaginal birth. (II-1E) 4. When operative intervention in the second stage of labour is required, the options, risks, and benefits of vacuum, forceps, and Caesarean section must be considered. The choice of intervention needs to be individualized, as one is not clearly safer or more effective than the other. (II-B) 5. Failure of the chosen method, vacuum and/or forceps, to achieve delivery of the fetus in a reasonable time should be considered an indication for abandonment of the method. (III-C) 6. Adequate clinical experience and appropriate training of the operator are essential to the safe performance of operative deliveries. Hospital credentialing boards should grant privileges for performing these techniques only to an appropriately trained individual who demonstrates adequate skills. (III-C). VALIDATION: The Clinical Practice Obstetrics Committee and Executive and Council of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada approved these guidelines.

Canada↗
PubMed2004

Do maternity care provider groups have different attitudes towards birth?

OBJECTIVE: To compare family physicians', obstetricians' and midwives' self-reported practices, attitudes and beliefs about central issues in childbirth. DESIGN: Mail-out questionnaire. SETTING/POPULATION; All registered midwives in the province, and a sample of family physicians and obstetricians in a maternity care teaching hospital. Response rates: 91% (n = 50), 69% (n = 97) and 89% (n = 34), respectively. METHODS: A postal survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Twenty-three five-point Likert scale items (strongly agree to strongly disagree) addressing attitudes toward routine electronic fetal monitoring, induction of labour, epidural analgesia, episiotomy, doulas, vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBACs), birth centres, provision educational material, birth plans and caesarean section. RESULTS: Cluster analysis identified three distinct clusters based on similar response to the questions. The 'MW' cluster consisted of 100% of midwives and 26% of the family physicians. The 'OB' cluster was composed of 79% of the obstetricians and 16% of the family physicians. The 'FP' cluster was composed of 58% the family physicians and 21% the obstetricians. Members of the 'OB' cluster more strongly believed that women had the right to request a caesarean section without maternal/fetal indications (P < 0.001), that epidurals early in labour were not associated with development of fetal malpositions (P < 0.001) and that increasing caesarean rates were a sign of improvement in obstetrics (P < 0.001). The 'OB' cluster members were more likely to say they would induce women as soon as possible after 41 3/7 weeks of gestation (P < 0.001) and were least likely to encourage the use of birth plans (P < 0.001). The 'MW' cluster's views were the opposite of the 'OBs' while the 'FP' cluster's views fell between the 'MW' and 'OB' clusters. CONCLUSIONS: In our environment, obstetricians were the most attached to technology and interventions including caesarean section and inductions, midwives the least, while family physicians fell in the middle. While generalisations can be problematic, obstetricians and midwives generally follow a defined and different approach to maternity care. Family physicians are heterogeneous, sometimes practising more like midwives and sometimes more like obstetricians.

Analgesia, Epidural↗
PubMed2004

Outcomes after vacuum-assisted deliveries. Births attended by community family practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: To assess success rates, modes of delivery following failure, complications of mothers and newborns, and effect of extractor station and parity on vacuum-assisted deliveries attended by family physicians. DESIGN: Retrospective audit. SETTING: Community hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five family physicians providing maternity care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Complications, parity, and extractor station of 153 vacuum-assisted deliveries from April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2003. RESULTS: Family physicians attempted 153 vacuum deliveries (82 at low station, 71 at outlet station) and had a 94.1% success rate. Of nine failed vacuum deliveries (eight at low station and one at outlet station), four were subsequently delivered by forceps and five by cesarean section. Except for one case of subdural hematoma, complications were few. Nulliparity was associated with six of the nine failed vacuum deliveries. CONCLUSION: Family physicians were usually successful with vacuum-assisted deliveries. Complications were infrequent and rapidly resolved, but one failure, which was followed by a failed forceps delivery and eventual cesarean section, resulted in a serious complication. Low station and nulliparity were associated with failure of vacuum-assisted deliveries.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The nature and management of labor pain: part I. Nonpharmacologic pain relief.

Pain in labor is a nearly universal experience for childbearing women. A recent evidence-based symposium on the nature and management of labor pain brought together family physicians, obstetricians, midwives, obstetric anesthesiologists, and childbirth educators to discuss a series of commissioned systematic reviews. Although management of labor pain plays a relatively minor role in a woman's satisfaction with childbirth compared with the quality of the relationship with her maternity caregiver and the degree of participation she has in decision making, it is an important topic for women and their caregivers. Nonpharmacologic methods of pain relief such as labor support, intradermal water blocks, and warm water baths are effective techniques for management of labor pain. An increased availability of these methods can provide effective alternatives for women in labor.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗
PubMed2003

The nature and management of labor pain: part II. Pharmacologic pain relief.

A group of family physicians, obstetricians, midwives, obstetric anesthesiologists, and childbirth educators attended an evidence-based symposium in 2001 on the nature and management of labor pain and discussed a series of systematic reviews that focused on methods of labor pain management. Parenteral opioids provide modest pain relief in labor, and little evidence supports the use of one agent over another. Epidural analgesia is used during labor in most large U.S. hospitals, and its use is rapidly increasing in small hospitals. Although epidural analgesia is the most effective form of pain relief, its use is associated with a longer labor, an increased incidence of maternal fever, and increased rates of operative vaginal delivery. The effect of epidural analgesia on rates of cesarean delivery is controversial. Nitrous oxide provides a modest analgesic effect, but it is used less often in the United States than in other developed nations. Paracervical block provides effective analgesia in the first stage of labor, but its use is limited by postblock bradycardia. Research is needed regarding which pain-relief options women would choose if they were offered a range of choices beyond epidural analgesia or parenteral opioids.

Analgesia, Epidural↗
PubMed2002

Does delivery volume of family physicians predict maternal and newborn outcome?

BACKGROUND: The number of births attended by individual family physicians who practice intrapartum care varies. We wanted to determine if the practice-volume relations that have been shown in other fields of medical practice also exist in maternity care practice by family doctors. METHODS: For the period April 1997 to August 1998, we analyzed all singleton births at a major maternity teaching hospital for which the family physician was the responsible physician. Physicians were grouped into 3 categories on the basis of the number of births they attended each year: fewer than 12, 12 to 24, and 25 or more. Physicians with a low volume of deliveries (72 physicians, 549 births), those with a medium volume of deliveries (34 physicians, 871 births) and those with a high volume of deliveries (46 physicians, 3024 births) were compared in terms of maternal and newborn outcomes. The main outcome measures were maternal morbidity, 5-minute Apgar score and admission of the baby to the neonatal intensive care unit or special care unit. Secondary outcomes were obstetric procedures and consultation patterns. RESULTS: There was no difference among the 3 volume cohorts in terms of rates of maternal complications of delivery, 5-minute Apgar scores of less than 7 or admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit or the special care unit, either before or after adjustment for parity, pregnancy-induced hypertension, diabetes, ethnicity, lone parent status, maternal age, gestational age, newborn birth weight and newborn head circumference at birth. High- and medium-volume family physicians consulted with obstetricians less often than low-volume family physicians (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.586 [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.479-0.718] and 0.739 [95% CI 0.583-0.935] respectively). High- and medium-volume family physicians transferred the delivery to an obstetrician less often than low-volume family physicians (adjusted OR 0.668 [95% CI 0.542-0.823] and 0.776 [95% CI 0.607-0.992] respectively). Inductions were performed by medium-volume family physicians more often than by low-volume family physicians (adjusted OR 1.437 [95% CI 1.036-1.992]. INTERPRETATION: Family physicians' delivery volumes were not associated with adverse outcomes for mothers or newborns. Low-volume family physicians referred patients and transferred deliveries to obstetricians more frequently than high- or medium-volume family physicians. Further research is needed to validate these findings in smaller facilities, both urban and rural.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Outcomes of planned home births versus planned hospital births after regulation of midwifery in British Columbia.

BACKGROUND: The choice to give birth at home with a regulated midwife in attendance became available to expectant women in British Columbia in 1998. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of home birth by comparing perinatal outcomes for planned home births attended by regulated midwives with those for planned hospital births. METHODS: We compared the outcomes of 862 planned home births attended by midwives with those of planned hospital births attended by either midwives (n = 571) or physicians (n = 743). Comparison subjects who were similar in their obstetric risk status were selected from hospitals in which the midwives who were conducting the home births had hospital privileges. Our study population included all home births that occurred between Jan. 1, 1998, and Dec. 31, 1999. RESULTS: Women who gave birth at home attended by a midwife had fewer procedures during labour compared with women who gave birth in hospital attended by a physician. After adjustment for maternal age, lone parent status, income quintile, use of any versus no substances and parity, women in the home birth group were less likely to have epidural analgesia (odds ratio 0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.27), be induced, have their labours augmented with oxytocin or prostaglandins, or have an episiotomy. Comparison of home births with hospital births attended by a midwife showed very similar and equally significant differences. The adjusted odds ratio for cesarean section in the home birth group compared with physician-attended hospital births was 0.3 (95% CI 0.22-0.43). Rates of perinatal mortality, 5-minute Apgar scores, meconium aspiration syndrome or need for transfer to a different hospital for specialized newborn care were very similar for the home birth group and for births in hospital attended by a physician. The adjusted odds ratio for Apgar scores lower than 7 at 5 minutes in the home birth group compared with physician-attended hospital births was 0.84 (95% CI 0.32-2.19). INTERPRETATION: There was no increased maternal or neonatal risk associated with planned home birth under the care of a regulated midwife. The rates of some adverse outcomes were too low for us to draw statistical comparisons, and ongoing evaluation of home birth is warranted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Chronic, controlled GDNF infusion promotes structural and functional recovery in advanced parkinsonian monkeys.

The powerful trophic effects that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) exerts on midbrain dopamine neurones suggest its use in treating Parkinson's disease. However, some important questions remain about the possible therapeutic applications of GDNF. Here we demonstrate that the chronic infusion of 5 or 15 micro g/day GDNF into the lateral ventricle or the striatum, using programmable pumps, promotes restoration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system and significantly improves motor functions in rhesus monkeys with neural deficits modelling the terminal stages of Parkinson's disease. The functional improvements were associated with pronounced upregulation and regeneration of nigral dopamine neurones and their processes innervating the striatum. When compared with vehicle recipients, these functional improvements were associated with (i) >30% bilateral increase in nigral dopamine neurone cell size; (ii) >20% bilateral increase in the number of nigral cells expressing the dopamine marker tyrosine hydroxylase; (iii) >70 and >50% bilateral increase in dopamine metabolite levels in the striatum and the pallidum, respectively; (iv) 233 and 155% increase in dopamine levels in the periventricular striatal region and the globus pallidus, respectively, on the lesioned side; and (v) a five-fold increase in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive fibre density in the periventricular striatal region on the lesioned side. In addition, chronic GDNF treatment did not induce the side-effects generally associated with chronic administration of levodopa, the most widely used treatment for Parkinson's disease. Thus, the results suggest that the prolonged and controlled delivery of GDNF into the brain could be used to intervene in long-term neurodegenerative disease processes like Parkinson's disease. Additional studies are required to determine the potential differences between chronic, intraventricular and intraputamenal (or intranigral) delivery of GDNF to maximize the efficacy of infusion treatments.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed2002

In for the long haul. Which family physicians plan to continue delivering babies?

OBJECTIVE: To compare characteristics of family physicians planning to discontinue or stay in intrapartum care. DESIGN: Self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: Department of Family Practice at Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-five family physicians who attended at least one birth at the Health Centre between April 1997 and August 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intention to leave or stay in family practice maternity care, physician characteristics and beliefs. RESULTS: Forty-five percent (43/95) of family physicians planned to leave maternity care within the next 5 years. Physicians planning to leave had more negative attitudes about the alternative birthing centre, doulas, and practising in free-standing settings without on-site obstetricians; were more likely to report missing personal events because they had put their maternity patients first; were less likely to make housecalls during women's labour; and were more likely to be paid through fee-for-service. CONCLUSION: Being paid by fee-for-service, having negative attitudes toward non-traditional maternity care, and conflict between maternity care and personal life were associated with intention to leave intrapartum care.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Hemorrhagic shock.

OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical aspects of hemorrhagic shock and provide recommendations for therapy. OPTIONS: Early recognition of hemorrhagic shock and prompt systematic intervention will help avoid poor outcomes. OUTCOMES: Establish guidelines to assist in early recognition of hemorrhagic shock and to conduct resuscitation in an organized and evidence-based manner. EVIDENCE: Medline references were sought using the MeSH term "hemorrhagic shock." All articles published in the disciplines of obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, trauma, critical care, anesthesia, pharmacology, and hematology between 1 January 1990 and 31 August 2000 were reviewed, as well as core textbooks from these fields. Selected references from these articles and book chapters were also obtained and reviewed. The level of evidence has been determined using the criteria described by the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Clinicians should be familiar with the clinical signs of hemorrhagic shock. (III-B) 2. Clinicians should be familiar with the stages of hemorrhagic shock. (III-B) 3. Clinicians should assess each woman's risk for hemorrhagic shock and prepare for the procedure accordingly. (III-B) 4. Resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock should include adequate oxygenation. (II-3A) 5. Resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock should include restoration of circulating volume by placement of two large-bore IVs, and rapid infusion of a balanced crystalloid solution. (I-A) 6. Isotonic crystalloid or colloid solutions can be used for volume replacement in hemorrhagic shock (I-B). There is no place for hypotonic dextrose solutions in the management of hemorrhagic shock (I-E). 7. Blood component transfusion is indicated when deficiencies have been documented by clinical assessment or hematological investigations (II-2B). They should be warmed and infused through filtered lines with normal saline, free of additives and drugs (II-3B). 8. Vasoactive agents are rarely indicated in the management of hemorrhagic shock and should be considered only when volume replacement is complete, hemorrhage is arrested, and hypotension continues. They should be administered in a critical care setting with the assistance of a multidisciplinary team. (III-B) 9. Appropriate resuscitation requires ongoing evaluation of response to therapy, including clinical evaluation, and hematological, biochemical, and metabolic assessments. (III-B) 10. In hemorrhagic shock, prompt recognition and arrest of the source of hemorrhage, while implementing resuscitative measures, is recommended. (III-B)VALIDATION: These guidelines have been reviewed by the Clinical Practice Obstetrics Committee and approved by Executive and Council of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. SPONSORS: The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed2002

The management of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence-based management of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and hyperemesis gravidarum. EVIDENCE: MEDLINE and Cochrane database searches were performed using the medical subject headings (MeSH) of treatment, nausea, vomiting, pregnancy, and hyperemesis gravidarum. The quality of evidence reported in these guidelines has been described using the Evaluation of Evidence criteria outlined in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Exam. BENEFITS: NVP has a profound effect on women's health and quality of life during pregnancy, as well as a financial impact on the health care system, and its early recognition and management are recommended. (III-B) COST: Costs, including hospitalizations, additional office visits, and time lost from work, may be reduced if NVP is treated early.

Algorithms↗