Arterial thrombosis after REBOA use in placenta accreta spectrum: a case series.

BACKGROUND: The use of resuscitative endovascular balloon of the aorta (REBOA) is a useful strategy for bleeding control in placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) management. The incidence of complications associated with this procedure is variable. We report three cases of arterial thrombosis associated with REBOA, and we also analyze the factors that facilitated its occurrence. CASE REPORT: Three women with PAS, presented common femoral and external iliac arterial thrombosis after REBOA use. Among the contributing factors probably associated with thrombosis, we identified the absence of ultrasound guidance for vascular access and the not using of heparin during aortic occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: REBOA use is not exempt from complications and must be performed by experienced groups applying strategies to reduce the risks of complications.

A nationwide survey of centers with multidisciplinary teams for placenta accreta patient care in Colombia, observational study.

INTRODUCTION: MAP is associated with severe morbidity and maternal mortality. Therefore, it requires that patients with this condition to be attended in centers that have trained personnel and specific infrastructure. We aimed to identify the hospitals in Colombia that count on the minimum amount of medical specialties to manage this pathological condition and describe their general care practices. METHODOLOGY: Observational study in 87 obstetric tertiary care centers in Colombia. The requested information was collected using a predesigned survey, applied to the reported hospitals, and stored in an electronic database. RESULTS: Eighty-six hospitals were identified as possessing the capacity to care for women with accreta, of which 71 provided information (82.55% compliance). Although 83.09% of hospitals choose to treat patients with accreta, only 36.6% has a fixed group of specialists, 32.21% did not have interventional radiology, 25.36% did not have a blood bank, and 67.79% did not have intraoperative cell recovery devices; 77.46% of the surveyed hospitals had cared for five or fewer patients with accreta per year. CONCLUSION: Most hospitals manage a low number of MAP cases per year, which are handled by shift specialists and not by a fixed group of professionals, which increases the difficulty of achieving expertise.

Lack of experience is a main cause of maternal death in placenta accreta spectrum patients.

INTRODUCTION: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a serious condition with a mortality as high as 7%. However, the factors associated with this type of death have not been adequately described, with an almost complete lack of publications analyzing the determining factors of death in this disease. The aim of our work is to describe the causes of death related to PAS and to analyze the associated diagnosis and treatment problems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is an inter-continental, multicenter, descriptive, retrospective study in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal deaths related to PAS between January 2015 and December 2020 were included. Crucial points in the management of PAS, including prenatal diagnosis and details of the surgical treatment and postoperative management, were evaluated. RESULTS: Eighty-two maternal deaths in 16 low- and middle-income countries, on three continents, were included. Almost all maternal deaths (81 cases, 98.8%) were preventable, with inexperience among surgeons being identified as the most relevant problem in the process that led to death among 87% (67 women) of the cases who had contact with health services. The main cause of death associated with PAS was hemorrhage (69 cases, 84.1%), and failures in the process leading to the diagnosis were detected among 64.6% of cases. Although the majority of cases received medical attention and 50 (60.9%) were treated at referral centers for severe obstetric disease, problems were identified during treatment in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of experience and inadequate surgical technique are the most frequent problems associated with maternal deaths in PAS. Continuous training of interdisciplinary teams is critical to modify this tendency.

All maternal deaths related to placenta accreta spectrum are preventable: a difficult-to-tell reality.

BACKGROUND: Most maternal deaths related to postpartum hemorrhage are preventable. In most cases, placenta accreta spectrum is the principal cause of severe postpartum hemorrhage; however, there are few studies about maternal deaths, probably because of the legal implications of "problems" in the management of patients who have died. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the problems or "delays" in the care of patients who die because of placenta accreta spectrum in Latin America. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective, descriptive, observational multicentric study in Latin American hospitals was conducted. The care of patients who died from placenta accreta spectrum was investigated under a "delay" study model that included delays related to patients, institutions, and healthcare providers. Centers of excellence standards of care were taken into account, and 2 analysis moments were included: an initial analysis for each local care group in the place where maternal death occurred and another analysis that included the main researcher. All information were collected through a predesigned survey and discussed by telephone. RESULTS: Overall, 52 patients in 10 Latin American countries were included, with options for improvement identified in all cases. The most prevalent type of delay was associated with health providers (98% of cases), followed by health institutions (96% of cases) and patients (63% of cases). Each hospital's analysis group defined maternal death as avoidable in all cases and determined that the interventions needed to improve the outcome would present low, moderate, and high difficulties in 28.8%, 48.1%, and 34.8% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: All maternal deaths related to placenta accreta spectrum were potentially preventable, and 76.9% of cases were avoidable by low to moderate complexity interventions.