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Monitoring utilization and need for obstetric care in the highlands of Guatemala.

OBJECTIVE: To monitor changes in the utilization and need for obstetric care between 1995 and 1998 at three hospitals in the highlands of Guatemala. METHODS: We collected data on 5300 obstetric admissions from maternity registries and selected 10 indicators to measure intermediate outcomes. RESULTS: Utilization of services increased at some or all hospitals as measured by the number of obstetric admissions, proportion of births in facilities, and cesarean deliveries as a proportion of all births. We observed increases in the proportion of women expected to have obstetric complications who were treated at each hospital and in the proportion of women with obstetric complications who were referrals. The changes in patient profile reflect increased service utilization and accessibility among women who traditionally used the health system the least. CONCLUSIONS: Positive changes in these indicators are likely to be associated with a reduction in maternal mortality. Without a control area, we cannot be sure of a cause and effect relationship between outcomes and interventions, nevertheless, maternity registry data offer an inexpensive source of information for facilities to monitor changes.

Birth Rate↗

Perianesthesia care following obstetric emergencies at risk for multisystem organ dysfunction.

Perianesthesia care provided to obstetric patients is on the rise due to current obstetric practice habits, changes in the maternal population, and the increased desire for scheduled childbirth. Both scheduled and emergent cesarean deliveries create risk, yet the use of general anesthesia increases maternal morbidity and mortality significantly. Obstetric emergencies make up the majority of emergent cesarean deliveries. Detrimental events during pregnancy and childbirth may be categorized into hemorrhagic, septic, or anaphylactic shock. Excessive loss of circulating volume with subsequent loss in oxygenation creates an environment for multisystem organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Both MODS and pregnancy are hyperdynamic and hypermetabolic states. Close monitoring is needed to differentiate pregnancy for the progression of organ dysfunction. Caring for pregnant women with the intent that pregnancy is a normal, physiologic state can lead to complacency and the risk of misdiagnosis. The purpose of this article is to review current obstetric emergencies that place the obstetric population at risk for MODS and offer management options to perianesthesia providers.

Anesthesia, General↗

Limb preference in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy.

Brachial plexus palsy affects children differently than adults. In children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy, motor development must depend on nervous system adaptation. Previous studies report sensory plasticity in these children. This noninvasive study provides support for neural plasticity (the general ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences) in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy by considering upper limb preference. As in the general population, we expect that 90% of children would prefer their right upper limb. However, only 17% of children affected by right obstetric brachial plexus palsy prefer the right upper limb for overall movement; children with left obstetric brachial plexus palsy did not significantly differ from the general population in upper limb preference. This study also provides the first evidence of a significant correlation between actual task performance and select obstetric brachial plexus palsy outcome measurement systems, thereby justifying the routine use of these outcome measurement systems as a reflection of the practical utility of the affected limb to the patient.

Birth Injuries↗

Obstetric deaths in Bangladesh, 1996-1997.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure and to describe obstetric deaths in Bangladesh. METHODS: We reviewed hospital records and interviewed health workers in clinic sites and field workers who cared for pregnant women. RESULTS: We obtained case reports of 28998 deaths of women aged 10-50, of which 8562 (29.5%) were maternal deaths. Most (7086, 82.8%) of these deaths were due to obstetric causes. The most common causes of direct obstetric death were eclampsia (34.3%), hemorrhage (27.9%), and obstructed and/or prolonged labor (11.3%). National direct obstetric death rate was estimated to be 16.9 per 100,000 women. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to reduce fertility in Bangladesh have led to an estimated 49% reduction in the maternal mortality rate per 1000 women during the past 18 years. Variations in maternal mortality suggest the need to develop local strategies to improve obstetric care.

Adolescent↗

Community loan funds and transport services for obstetric emergencies in northern Nigeria.

PRELIMINARY STUDIES: Focus group discussions and a community survey indicated that inadequate funds and transport caused delays in deciding to seek emergency obstetric care and in reaching facilities. INTERVENTIONS: Following improvements in the quality of obstetric services, a community loan program was established in early 1995. Community members determined its features: compulsory contributions; community administration; loans for obstetric complications only; no interest; a 6-month grace period; and 24-month repayment. A transport system was also established, in which private vehicle drivers agreed to respond to calls for emergency transport and charge a set fee. RESULTS: The equivalent of US $20,500 was collected from 81 annual and 2273 one-time contributors. Eighteen loans were approved in 9 months. Repayment data are not yet available. For the transport system, 23 drivers pledged permanent participation and 58 pledged to take part in 6-month rotations. They transported 18 women. COSTS: The cost of these interventions was $3409 for the loan fund and $2272 for the transport system. Sixty percent of the cost was paid by the community and the rest by the PMM project. CONCLUSIONS: Community-managed loan and transport systems for women with obstetric emergencies can be established and may contribute to reducing delay in obtaining emergency obstetric care.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗

Obstetric admissions to the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether obstetric admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) are useful quality-assurance indicators. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively obstetric ICU admissions at two tertiary care centers from 1991 to 1997. RESULTS: The 131 obstetric admissions represented 0.3% of all deliveries. The majority (78%) of women were admitted to the ICU postpartum. Obstetric hemorrhage (26%) and hypertension (21%) were the two most common reasons for admission. Together with cardiac disease, respiratory disorders, and infection, they accounted for more than 80% of all admissions. Preexisting medical conditions were present in 38% of all admissions. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 8.5. The predicted mortality rate for the group was 10.0%, and the actual mortality rate was 2.3%. CONCLUSION: The most common precipitants of ICU admission were obstetric hemorrhage and uncontrolled hypertension. Improved management strategies for these problems may significantly reduce major maternal morbidity.

Adult↗

Multidrug resistance 3 gene mutation 1712delT and estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms in Finnish women with obstetric cholestasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contribution of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) polymorphism in the development of obstetric cholestasis and to determine whether multidrug resistance 3 (MDR3) gene 1712delT mutation detected in French patients is also present in Finnish women with obstetric cholestasis. STUDY DESIGN: In a retrospective case-control study, two ERalpha polymorphisms and MDR3 gene mutation 1712delT were investigated in healthy control women (N=47) and in women with diagnosis of obstetric cholestasis (N=57). PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms in ERalpha gene were evaluated in genomic DNA by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, the frequencies in the general population in our area are presented for comparison. RESULTS: None of the ERalpha genotypes or alleles was significantly over-represented in obstetric cholestasis. When the two ERalpha gene polymorphisms were analyzed in parallel, six genotype combinations were recognized, and the distribution of these genotype combinations did not reveal statistically significant differences between the cases and controls (P=0.612). No patient or control was heterozygous or homozygous for the mutant allele in the MDR3 gene. CONCLUSION: The present data indicate that polymorphism of the ERalpha and MDR3 genes 1712delT mutation are unlikely to play any significant role in obstetric cholestasis in affected Finnish women. Further work to identify explanatory factors is of particular interest.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B↗

Cost consequences of implementation of an early obstetrical discharge program in a military teaching hospital.

Objective: To evaluate the cost consequence of an early obstetrical discharge program in a military teaching hospital.Methods: The study involved a control group of routine obstetrical discharge patients with uncomplicated vaginal delivery from March to August 1994 and the study group of early obstetrical discharge (24-48 hours) patients with uncomplicated vaginal delivery from March to August 1996.Results: There were 1,042 total control patients with routine vaginal delivery from March to August 1994 totaling 2,668 hospital days with a mean number of hospital days of 2.56 per patient. The study group of early obstetrical discharge patients from March to August 1996 with uncomplicated vaginal delivery encompassed 1,050 patients with 1,965 days with mean hospital days of 1.87 per patient. The total cost of admissions (cost calculation of $1,221/hospital day) fell from $3,257,628 in the routine discharge group to $2,399,625 in the early discharge cohort showing a total cost savings of $858,003 over the 6-month study period. The average cost per admission fell from $3,126/day to $2,285/day without an increase in the postpartum pediatric or maternal adverse outcomes.Conclusion: An early obstetrical discharge program at a military teaching hospital showed significant cost savings without concomitant increase in pediatric or maternal adverse outcomes.

Journal Article↗

Congenital thrombophilia associated to obstetric complications.

During pregnancy there are hemostatic changes that result in a hypercoagulable state and can have thrombotic consequences. This condition can be aggravated in women who are carriers of congenital thrombophilic factors. This thrombotic tendency can manifest as thrombotic lesions in the placenta with compromise of utero-placental circulation, which are common characteristics present in obstetric complications, such as preeclampsia/eclampsia, miscarriage, fetal loss, intrauterine growth retardation, and abruptio placentae. In this paper we review data concerning about the association of congenital thrombophilia in pregnancy with obstetric complications, mainly preeclampsia and fetal loss, focusing in factor V Leiden and its related activated protein C resistance, prothrombin mutation G20210A and hyperhomocysteinemia related with C677T mutation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Although factor V Leiden has been the thrombophilic factor most studied, all three thrombophilic mutations have been related with obstetric complications; however, contradictory results about the specific association of each mutation with each type of obstetric complication are described. These discrepancies could obey to the ethnic difference of the studied groups, or to the fact that some studies were performed in closed populations with few migratory movement, where the genetic pool is relatively homogeneous, as well as the different inclusion and exclusion criteria. Even though this variability is present, the significance of recognizing true associations between these thrombophilic mutations and obstetric complications is essential in order to determine the likelihood of routinely screening for these conditions in pregnant women with risk factors for thrombosis and for carrying out specific prophylactic measures.

Female↗

Risk of obstetric cholestasis in sisters of index patients.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the rate of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in first-degree relatives of index patients. Index patients (n=65) with singleton pregnancies complicated by intrahepatic cholestasis were identified among the women (n=11 984) who gave birth at Kuopio University Hospital in 1994-1998. The pregnancy histories of relatives of 56 index patients were reviewed and the rate of cholestasis in first-degree relatives was compared with that in the general obstetric population. Obstetric cholestasis was experienced by 9% of the parous sisters and 11% of the mothers of the index patients. The risk per delivery was 6% in the first-degree relatives. The rate in the general obstetric population was 0.54%. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 12.6 (5.6-28.1) for the sisters and 12.2 (6.2-24.2) for the mothers. Obstetric cholestasis clusters within some families and is under strong genetic influence, although the precise genetic pattern remains obscure. The sisters of index patients are at an increased risk of the disorder and may benefit from close obstetric care.

Cholestasis, Intrahepatic↗

Blunt trauma in the obstetric patient: monitoring practices in the ED.

This study was undertaken to determine the usually used approach to fetal monitoring in the emergency department (ED) of the less severely injured obstetric patient who has sustained blunt trauma. A written survey was sent to clinical directors of teaching programs in emergency medicine (EM) with inquiries on the usual way of monitoring, what studies were performed, and the usual disposition of the less-injured obstetric patient. From the 112 teaching programs surveyed in early 1996, there were 87 responses (78%). Seventy-eight percent of programs generally have fetal monitoring performed for 2 to 4 hours in obstetric trauma patients when the trauma is more than minor extremity injury. In 68%, fetal monitoring was not performed in the ED from the time of the initial assessment of fetal heart tones until the mother went to an obstetric area even though the average estimated time to radiographically clear a cervical spine was 36 minutes. In 92% of programs residents are taught cardiotocographic changes indicative of fetal distress but only 15% have such monitoring equipment in their department. However, 51% do have sonographic equipment in their department. Given a patient with a viable fetus who has no abdominal pain, 46% routinely use fetal monitoring if the mechanism is a simple fall whereas 92% use monitoring only if the mechanism is a rollover motor vehicle collision or a strike to the abdomen. It is generally recognized that fetal distress may occur subtly without overt clinical signs and that obstetric area monitoring for a period of several hours should take place. However, most teaching programs do not institute continuous fetal monitoring during the first 30 to 60 minutes that the mother is undergoing her work-up even though residents are taught such monitoring.

Abdominal Pain↗

Neurological complications in obstetric regional anaesthesia.

Neurological complications after obstetric central neural blocks are rare events. Although central neural blockade does cause neurological complications, there must be awareness that neurological deficits may either develop spontaneously (e.g. epidural abscess/haematoma) or as a result of the labour and delivery process (maternal obstetric palsies). We have attempted to review as completely as possible the published survey and case reports in the English literature on neurological complications of obstetric regional blockade obtained from Medline spanning the period 1966 to November 1998. We also performed cross-checking of our references to find important missing articles, e.g. papers published in journals not included in Index Medicus at the time of publication, such as the International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia. We wish to provide some insight to the incidences, pathophysiology, clinical features, investigations, treatment and prognosis of these complications. Maternal obstetric palsies and case reports of spontaneous epidural abscess/haematoma are also discussed. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to determine the exact aetiology, but unfortunately for the anaesthetists, regional blockade is usually incriminated till proven otherwise. Although we cannot eliminate the occurrence of neurological complications completely, preventive measures can still be taken to decrease their incidence (e.g. aseptic technique). There must also be regular monitoring after neural blockade for the development of neurological complications. Early diagnosis and prompt appropriate treatment will usually lead to complete resolution of the neurological deficit even in cases of epidural haematoma/abscess.

Journal Article↗

Diagnosis and management of acute obstetrical DIC.

UNLABELLED: Obstetrical disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is usually a very acute, serious complication of pregnancy. The DIC diagnostic criteria in obstetrics (the obstetrical DIC score) help with making a prompt diagnosis and starting treatment early. These DIC diagnostic criteria, in which higher scores are given for clinical parameters than for laboratory parameters, have three components: (1) the underlying disease, (2) clinical symptoms, and (3) laboratory findings. It is justified that it is appropriate to initiate therapy for DIC when the obstetrical DIC score reaches 8 points or more before obtaining the results of coagulation tests. MANAGEMENT: (1) Control of the underlying disease: because prolongation of exposure to the triggering factors worsens DIC, it is important to eliminate the etiologic factors as rapidly as possible. Elimination of the cause of DIC can be easily performed in obstetrics, for example, by cesarean section. (2) Antithrombin (AT) therapy: AT monotherapy (1,500 to 3,000 units/day, 2 days) is preferably employed instead of heparin monotherapy or heparin-AT therapy because of the hemorrhagic side effects of heparin. (3) Synthetic serine protease inhibitors: continuous infusion ofgabexate mesilate (FOY) or nafamostat mesilate (FUT) is effective for DIC. Controlled multicenter trials showed a significant improvement not only in clinical response but also in platelet counts and prothrombin time (PT) in the AT group compared with the FOY group. (4) Activated protein C (APC) can inhibit thrombin generation and accelerate fibrinolytic activity. APC (5,000 to 10,000 units) is administered for 2 days in patients with placental abruption complicated by DIC. APC is a very safe, effective, and useful agent for the treatment of DIC.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation↗

Obstetric diagnosis and perinatal mortality.

A multidisciplinary team composed of obstetricians, pediatricians, and pathologists examined the causes of 453 consecutive perinatal deaths, which occurred between 1978 to 1982. A clear distinction between obstetric diagnosis and infant cause of death was made, and a prinicpal obstetric and infant diagnosis was assigned to each death. Perinatal death rates by obstetric category were calculated. The rates varied from 6.1 per 1000 births in uncomplicated cases to 217.4 per 1000 births in isolated intrauterine growth retardation. The causes of perinatal death within obstetric categories were tabulated. Nonviability or the complications of prematurity (65%) were the leading causes of death when there was third-trimester bleeding, premature labor, or premature rupture of membranes. Anoxia (59%) was the most frequent cause of death when there was hypertension/pre-eclampsia or other uteroplacental insufficiency states. Death from congenital abnormality accounted for 17.7% of all perinatal deaths. A focus on the causes of perinatal death with obstetric diagnostic categories helps weigh the risk of prematurity versus the risk of anoxia in the management of high-risk gravidas.

Boston↗

Insertion-deletion polymorphism in the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme is associated with obstetric cholestasis but not with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the contribution of angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion-deletion polymorphism in the development of obstetric complications. STUDY DESIGN: In a retrospective case-control study, angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion-deletion polymorphism was investigated in a control group of healthy women (n = 115) and in a group of women diagnosed with preeclampsia (n = 133) and obstetric cholestasis (n = 57). Polymerase chain reaction detection of insertion-deletion polymorphism was used to determine the presence of the two angiotensin-converting enzyme alleles in the groups; the frequencies in the general population in our area are presented for comparison. RESULTS: The frequency of the D allele was 43.9% among women with obstetric cholestasis and 27% among healthy fertile women, which is close to the rate in the general population in our area (28%). The odds ratio for obstetric cholestasis associated with the DD genotype was 2.12 (95% CI, 1.08-4.12) compared with the pooled II and ID genotypes (P = .03). Neither the ID genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies differed significantly between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies (P = .36). CONCLUSION: The present data indicate that the DD genotype is a genetic marker associated with an elevated risk of obstetric cholestasis, but this polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene is unlikely to play any significant role in preeclampsia.

Alleles↗

Obstetric hysterectomy in a population of South East England.

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and outcome of obstetric hysterectomy. Of 48,865 women who delivered after 24 weeks' gestation in the South East Thames Region between March 1997 and February 1998, 22 women with obstetric hysterectomy were identified, and 15 prospectively followed-up (71% response rate). The incidence of obstetric hysterectomy was 0.45/1,000 deliveries with one maternal death (4.5%). Identified risk factors were delivery by caesarean section (68%), previous caesarean section (33%) and placenta praevia (24%). Mean blood loss and replacement were 5.2 l and 17 units, with a 38% risk of re-operation and 21% risk of urinary tract injury. Follow-up showed poor general health 6-9 months after delivery with 10 women (67%) attending outpatients and four (27%) requiring emergency admission to hospital. This population survey found a low rate of obstetric hysterectomy but severe morbidity. Obstetric hysterectomy is a good candidate for a national morbidity audit.

Adult↗

Obstetric patients in a surgical intensive care unit: prognostic factors and outcome.

The objective of this study was to assess the incidence, prognostic factors and the outcome of obstetric patients admitted in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) during the ante-partum or postpartum period (within 6 weeks of delivery). Between 1995 and 2002, the patients transferred from the department of obstetrics were retrospectively included into the study. Demographics included: obstetric data, medical and surgical histories, diagnosis, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation system APACHE II score; and the occurrence of organ failure, therapeutic interventions, length of stay in the SICU and outcome were recorded. During the study period, 364 obstetric patients were admitted to the SICU. Obstetric admissions to the SICU represented 0.6% of all deliveries and the SICU utilisation rate was 14.96%. The main indications for admission were eclampsia (70.6%) and postpartum haemorrhage (16.2%). The overall mortality rate was 16.7% (n = 61). In a logistic regression model, risk factors for death included organ system failure (odds ratio (OR) = 3.95 confidence interval (CI) [1.84 - 8.48], bilirubin >12 mg/l (OR = 1.017 CI [1.00 - 1.03]), and prolonged prothrombin time (OR = 0.97 CI [0.95 - 0.99]). Median length of stay was longer in non- survivors (6.5 +/- 7.3 vs 5.5 +/- 4.6 days). Maternal condition on admission and associated complications are the major determinant of maternal outcome.

APACHE↗

Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus spread by neonates transferred from primary obstetrics clinics to a tertiary care hospital in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics and origins of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from neonatal patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital from local and primary care obstetrics clinics. DESIGN: Molecular typing study. SETTING: A 1,278-bed tertiary care hospital (Samsung Medical Center) and 2 primary obstetrics clinics in Seoul, Korea. PATIENTS: The genotypic characteristics of 12 MRSA samples isolated from 11 neonatal patients transferred from 2 primary care obstetrics clinics to a tertiary care hospital were investigated by means of multilocus sequence typing, spa (staphylococcal protein A) typing, and SCCmec typing. Ten MRSA strains isolated from workers and environments in the associated obstetrics clinics were also investigated. RESULTS: Although the antibiograms of isolates from 2 obstetrics clinics differed, no strain showed multidrug resistance to antimicrobials. Multilocus sequence typing analysis showed that all 22 MRSA isolates analyzed in this study had sequence type 1 (with the allelic profile 1-1-1-1-1-1-1), sequence type 493 (62-1-1-1-1-1-1), or a novel sequence type (25-1-1-1-1-1-1) and that all belonged to a single clonal complex (clonal complex 1). Moreover, they all contained SCCmec type IVA and the identical spa type (UJEBKBP). These genotypic characteristics are similar to those of typical community-associated MRSA strains rather than the hospital-acquired MRSA strains common in Korea. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that community-acquired MRSA strains can spread in primary care clinics and be imported into tertiary care settings.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗