Treatment of Morbidly Adherent Placentation Utilizing a Standardized Multidisciplinary Approach in the Community Hospital-Private Practice Setting.

Objective Morbidly adherent placentation is associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality. Recently, there has been mounting evidence supporting the benefits of a standardized multidisciplinary approach at tertiary teaching hospitals. Our objective was to estimate the impact of the implementation of a similar program at a high-volume private community hospital. Study Design In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated maternal outcomes in all cases of histopathologically confirmed morbidly adherent placentation since the initiation of our multidisciplinary program (2012-2016). Our data were compared with the previously published outcomes of two large cohorts from tertiary teaching hospitals in Utah and Texas. Results In the 28 cases included for evaluation, our group's median estimated blood loss, median packed red blood cells transfused, median anesthesia time, median length of stay, or rates of maternal morbidity did not statistically differ from the published data in Utah or Texas. Conclusion Our data demonstrate the feasibility and utility of a multidisciplinary morbidly adherent placentation program in the private practice/community hospital setting with outcomes similar to those at tertiary teaching hospitals. Implementation of such program may prove beneficial in remote centers, where various factors may prohibit patient travel to a larger center.

Does corticosteroid therapy impact fetal pulmonary artery blood flow in women at risk for preterm birth?

AIM: Maternal corticosteroid administration in pregnancy is known to enhance fetal lung maturity in at risk fetuses. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that corticosteroid therapy alters fetal pulmonary blood flow in pregnancies at risk for preterm birth (PTB). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated main fetal pulmonary artery (MPA) blood flow in pregnant women at risk for PTB and treated with corticosteroids (betamethasone), compared to an uncomplicated cohort without steroid therapy. The Doppler indices of interest included Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), Resistive Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI), Systolic/Diastolic ratio (S/D ratio), Acceleration Time (AT), and Acceleration Time/Ejection Time Ratio (AT/ET ratio), with the latter serving as the primary outcomes due to its stability irrespective of gestational age. RESULTS: When compared with controls, fetuses treated with corticosteroids demonstrated significantly decreased pulmonary artery acceleration time (median: 28.89 (22.22-51.11) vs. 33.33 (22.20-57.00), p=0.006), while all other indices remained similar. We found no difference in pulmonary blood flow between fetuses who developed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and those that did not (31.56 +/- 6.842 vs. 32.36 +/- 7.265, p= 0.76). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate altered fetal pulmonary blood flow with corticosteroid therapy, possibly due to increased arterial elastance brought on by medication effect, which leads to the decreased acceleration time or possible gestational age affect. Contrary to a recent report, we did not observe any Doppler differences in fetuses with RDS, which underscores the need for further examination of this proposed association.

Cerebral autoregulation in different hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrovascular complications that are associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (preeclampsia, chronic hypertension [CHTN], and gestational hypertension [GHTN]) are believed to be associated with impaired cerebral autoregulation, which is a physiologic process that maintains blood flow at an appropriate level despite changes in blood pressure. The nature of autoregulation dysfunction in these conditions is unclear. We therefore evaluated autoregulation in 30 patients with preeclampsia, 30 patients with CHTN, and 20 patients with GHTN and compared them with a control group of 30 normal pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN: The autoregulatory index (ARI) was calculated with the use of simultaneously recorded cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (transcranial Doppler ultrasound), blood pressure (noninvasive arterial volume clamping), and end-tidal carbon dioxide during a 7-minute period of rest. ARI values of 0 and 9 indicate absent and perfect autoregulation, respectively. We use analysis of variance with Bonferroni test vs a control group. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. RESULTS: ARI was significantly reduced in preeclampsia (ARI, 5.5 ± 1.6; P = .002) and CHTN (ARI, 5.6 ± 1.7; P = .004), but not in GHTN (ARI, 6.7 ± 0.8; P = 1.0) when compared with control subjects (ARI, 6.7 ± 0.8). ARI was more decreased in patients with CHTN who subsequently experienced preeclampsia than in those who did not (ARI, 3.9 ± 1.9 vs 6.1 ± 1.2; P = .001). This was not true for women with GHTN or control subjects who later experienced preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with CHTN or preeclampsia (even after exclusion of superimposed preeclampsia) have impaired autoregulation when compared with women with GHTN or normal pregnancy. Whether the decreased ARI in patients with CHTN who later experience preeclampsia is due to preexistent differences or early affected cerebral circulation remains to be determined.

Prevalence of chromosomal mosaicism in pregnancies from couples with infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if mosaicism that occurs in infertility and assisted reproductive technologies continues in the late first trimester and if this is unique to infertility or occurs in all pregnancies. DESIGN: Retrospective case-controlled study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): 5337 consecutive chorionic villus samplings (CVS). INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Mosaic karyotypes at CVS. RESULT(S): We confirmed 69 mosaic karyotypes, a rate of 1.29%. Comparing spontaneous pregnancies with pregnancies from infertility treatment, no difference was found in the prevalence of mosaicism: 1.22% versus 1.32%, respectively. Subgroup analysis of infertile couples, comparing in vitro (assisted reproduction) with in vivo fertilization (other treatments) revealed a mosaicism rate of 1.84% and 0.41%, respectively. Confined placental mosaic (CPM) rates for infertility treated pregnancies and spontaneously conceived pregnancies were 0.88% and 0.92%, respectively. Subgroup analysis of infertile patients revealed a CPM rate of 1.15% for in vitro fertilization treatment and 0.41% for in vivo fertilization treatment. These results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION(S): There was no difference in the prevalence of mosaicism at the end of the first trimester in pregnancies conceived spontaneously compared with those with infertility. There was no difference in the prevalence of mosaicism when in vitro and in vivo treatment were compared.

Chorionic villus sampling and risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between chorionic villus sampling at 10-13 weeks' gestational age and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: The prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in women with singleton gestations, undergoing transcervical or transabdominal chorionic villus sampling between 10 weeks 0 days' and 13 weeks 6 days' gestational age was compared with that of control women with singleton gestations having first-trimester screening with nuchal translucency and biochemistry between 11 weeks 0 days' and 13 weeks 6 days' gestational age. Patients having invasive prenatal diagnosis (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis) were excluded from the control group. All patients delivered at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. RESULTS: There were 1540 women who had chorionic villus sampling and 840 controls. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were diagnosed in 76 (4.9%) patients in the chorionic villus sampling group and in 37 (4.4%) of the controls (chi2 = 0.34, P = .31). CONCLUSION: Chorionic villus sampling at 10 to 13 weeks' gestational age does not appear to increase the overall risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. However, there appears to be an association between chorionic villus sampling and severe hypertensive disorders including severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome.