A prospective study of placental growth factor in twin pregnancy and development of a dichorionic twin pregnancy specific reference range.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a dichorionic twin pregnancy specific reference range for placental growth factor (PlGF), and to compare gestation-specific placental growth factor levels in twin pregnancies later complicated by pre-eclampsia, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy or fetal growth restriction with control pregnancies. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Single large tertiary maternity unit in Ireland. POPULATION OR SAMPLE: Women with a twin pregnancy. METHODS: Consenting pregnant women, across a variety of gestations, had a single blood sample taken at one time-point only during their pregnancy. The plasma was initially biobanked and PlGF was measured later in batches using the point of care Triage® PlGF test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development of pre-eclampsia, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy or fetal growth restriction. RESULTS: Placental growth factor levels in uncomplicated dichorionic twin pregnancies were significantly lower in the women who later developed pre-eclampsia than in the controls at all gestational intervals. In those that later developed any hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, median PlGF was lower only in those recruited before 24 weeks of gestation, whereas in infants with a customised birthweight below the third centile, PlGF was lower only in those sampled after 24 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Placental growth factor levels in twin pregnancy differ significantly between those women with a pregnancy that will later be complicated by pre-eclampsia and those that will not. This difference is present many weeks before clinical signs or symptoms of disease are present. Using cross-sectional values from uncomplicated twin pregnancies, we have developed a dichorionic twin pregnancy specific reference range for PlGF. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Placental growth factor levels in twin pregnancy differ significantly between women that will later develop pre-eclampsia and those that will not.

Challenges in diagnosis and management of an interstitial ectopic pregnancy.

Presentation A 44 year old, grandmultiparous woman was reviewed in the early pregnancy clinic for a history indicated early reassurance ultrasound. Diagnosis Early pregnancy ultrasound findings were suggestive of a tubal ectopic pregnancy. A diagnostic laparoscopy and uterine curettage were both negative. A subsequent transvaginal ultrasound confirmed a non-viable interstitial ectopic pregnancy. Treatment Conservative management was employed as she remained haemodynamically stable with reducing serum ßhCG. Following ten weeks, her serum ßhCG normalised and she was discharged. Discussion IEP poses diagnostic and management complexities. Delayed diagnosis leads to elevated risks. Management options include surgical (laparotomy, uterine wedge resection) and non-surgical approaches (medical and conservative). Earlier diagnosis of smaller, stable cases facilitates medical management, while non-viable cases can be conservatively managed. This case emphasizes the importance of prompt recognition and tailored interventions to enhance patient outcomes.

Maternity Ultrasound in the Republic of Ireland 2016; A Review.

Antenatal ultrasound, comprising of a dating ultrasound in the late first trimester followed by a fetal anomaly scan, is a recognised and necessary component of good antenatal care. We conducted a telephone survey of all 19 obstetric units to ascertain the status of maternity ultrasound provision in Ireland. Fetal anomaly ultrasound is offered universally to all women in 7/19 (37%) units, selectively to some women in 7/19 (37%) units and not offered at all in the remaining 5/19 (26%) units. Overall ? 41,700 (64%) women receive a fetal anomaly ultrasound nationally. Universal first trimester ultrasound, performed in a dedicated ultrasound department by a suitably qualified sonographer, is offered to 47% of women nationally. This study highlights the lack of development in Irish maternity ultrasound services over the last decade. Substantial investment by health care policy makers is urgently needed.

Audit of Ireland's first manual vacuum aspiration service.

INTRODUCTION: Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a safe and effective alternative option for the management of first-trimester miscarriage, termination of pregnancy, or retained pregnancy tissue. Ireland's first MVA clinic was set up in the Rotunda Hospital in April 2020. OBJECTIVE: To identify the number of women who have undergone MVA since establishing our service, to assess the efficacy and safety of MVA in that service, and to develop local Irish studies that further support the safety of MVA, adding to the international body of evidence. METHODS: With the approval and assistance of the Clinical Audit Committee, we obtained a log of all patients who underwent MVA in the first 18 months of the service. We performed a retrospective electronic chart review using Maternal and Newborn Clinical Management System. We collected the data and preformed a descriptive analysis. RESULTS: In total, 86 women underwent MVA, 85 (98.8%) of which were successfully completed. There were no immediate procedural complications, inter-hospital transfers, or emergency electric vacuum aspiration (EVA) required. We obtained an incomplete evacuation rate of 4.7% (n = 4). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that the MVA service in the Rotunda Hospital is a safe, effective management option with advantages for both the patient and the healthcare system. We recommend consideration for provision of funding and resources to enable expansion of this service nationally in order to give women greater autonomy of choice in the management of early pregnancy complications and termination of pregnancy.

Prevention of thrombosis in pregnancy: how practical are consensus derived clinical practice guidelines?

Thromboembolic disease (TED) has, for many years, consistently been identified as one of the leading causes of direct maternal mortality. In November 2009, the RCOG published a guideline on the prevention of TED that has been rapidly adopted by hospital trusts in the UK. The aim of our study was to determine the number and profile of women in our population that would require treatment with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and the cost implications of such treatment if these guidelines were implemented. A retrospective review of the first 100 women who delivered at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital (CWIUH) in 2010 was conducted and risk stratification applied at the relevant time points. A total of 51% were deemed to be at intermediate or high risk of TED at some point during pregnancy. In 35 of the 51 women (70%), this risk was attributable to factors such as age>35 years, parity≥3, BMI>30 kg/m2 or cigarette smoking. In our obstetric population, the percentage of women with these risk factors was: 25.5%, 8.5%, 19% and 16.7%, respectively. Implementation of this guideline would increase the hospital annual expenditure on LMWH by a factor of 17. The strategy of attributing risk by accumulating factors that individually have a low risk of TED and are prevalent in the population needs to be re-visited. The cost of implementation of these guidelines is not inconsiderable in the absence of data to indicate that clinical outcome is improved with their implementation.

Early pregnancy teaching and training amongst obstetric trainees in a tertiary maternity hospital.

Proficiency in early pregnancy assessment and management is a core component of Basic Speciality Training (BST) in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Performance and interpretation of early pregnancy ultrasound is not formalised in Ireland, resulting in variation in exposure and experience amongst trainees. We aimed to improve trainee's knowledge and confidence in early pregnancy ultrasound. This was though a multimodel teaching program of didactic lectures, tutorials, and case-based discussions. Additionally, we organised structed assessment tests over a six-week period with a repeat revision of teaching to allow all participants attendance. All teaching was provided with facilities already available in our institution. We assessed knowledge and confidence by an anonymised survey comprising both quantitative and qualitative components pre and post training completion. We showed an improvement in knowledge, a non-significant increase was noted in mean test score in multiple choice questions relating to early pregnancy from 78.8% to 83.5% post study completion. Trainees were noted to report an increase in training during the duration of the study with 70% reporting have received little training prior to the study dropping to 13% at the end. Increased exposure to both witnessed and performed transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound and training on the interpretation of early pregnancy ultrasound was noted. Among trainees 62% reported no formalised training in interpreting early pregnancy ultrasound at commencement reducing to 13% post study (p = 0.04). Improved confidence although non-significant was also reported among trainees. Our study demonstrates that a low-cost multimodel teaching program over a short time frame can improve knowledge, confidence and interpretation in early pregnancy ultrasound. This simple model can be easily reproduced in other institutions. As this was a pilot study, we would envision expanding it across further sites to assess its effectiveness.

Womens experience of Manual Vacuum Aspiration: An Irish perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) is a well-established management option for early pregnancy loss or early termination of pregnancy. MVA is performed as out-patient surgical procedure using local anaesthetic whereby aspiration of uterine contents is achieved through use of a hand-held negative pressure syringe. Ireland's first MVA service was established at the Rotunda Hospital Dublin in April 2020,. The purpose of this study was to gather feedback from women who had undergone MVA in the unit. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective mixed methods study of women attending for uterine aspiration under local anaesthetic from July to October 2020 in the unit. Consenting women were contacted one week following MVA via telephone. The survey conducted consisted of structured closed questions along with open-ended questions, to assess womens satisfaction in relation to all aspects of the MVA service. RESULTS: Nineteen women took part in the study, a response rate of 86.4%. Participants reported feeling well informed prior to attending for MVA. Prior to the procedure, pain expectation scores were high but actual reported pain scores were much lower. Although some participants did find MVA uncomfortable, the fact the procedure was very quick and the side effects so minimal generally negated this. The location and set up of the clinic scored highly among participants as did the staff of the clinic. Overall satisfaction with the MVA service was high with 84.2% of participants reporting they would opt again for MVA in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Women living in Ireland are interested and agreeable with having Manual Vacuum Aspiration as an available option for management of early pregnancy complications. Consideration should be given to expansion of MVA services nationally.

A Rare Coincidence-a Second Trimester Ectopic Pregnancy Following Early Medical Abortion: a Case Report.

We describe a case of a woman in her mid-30s who presented to a tertiary level maternity hospital 17 days following early medical abortion with a positive pregnancy test. On the ultrasound examination, it was discovered that she had a second trimester ectopic pregnancy which was treated surgically with a unilateral salpingectomy. We discuss in depth factors related to this woman's care, such as appropriate assessment and evaluation of early medical abortion cases, the diagnostic challenges of early pregnancy scanning as well as the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of care in these scenarios, and how this affected this woman's care.

Placental growth factor in assessment of women with suspected pre-eclampsia to reduce maternal morbidity: a stepped wedge cluster randomised control trial (PARROT Ireland).

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the addition of placental growth factor (PlGF) measurement to current clinical assessment of women with suspected pre-eclampsia before 37 weeks' gestation would reduce maternal morbidity without increasing neonatal morbidity. DESIGN: Stepped wedge cluster randomised control trial from 29 June 2017 to 26 April 2019. SETTING: National multisite trial in seven maternity hospitals throughout the island of Ireland PARTICIPANTS: Women with a singleton pregnancy between 20+0 to 36+6 weeks' gestation, with signs or symptoms suggestive of evolving pre-eclampsia. Of the 5718 women screened, 2583 were eligible and 2313 elected to participate. INTERVENTION: Participants were assigned randomly to either usual care or to usual care plus the addition of point-of-care PlGF testing based on the randomisation status of their maternity hospital at the time point of enrolment. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Co-primary outcomes of composite maternal morbidity and composite neonatal morbidity. Analysis was on an individual participant level using mixed-effects Poisson regression adjusted for time effects (with robust standard errors) by intention-to-treat. RESULTS: Of the 4000 anticipated recruitment target, 2313 eligible participants (57%) were enrolled, of whom 2219 (96%) were included in the primary analysis. Of these, 1202 (54%) participants were assigned to the usual care group, and 1017 (46%) were assigned the intervention of additional point-of-care PlGF testing. The results demonstrate that the integration of point-of-care PlGF testing resulted in no evidence of a difference in maternal morbidity-457/1202 (38%) of women in the control group versus 330/1017 (32%) of women in the intervention group (adjusted risk ratio (RR) 1.01 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.36), P=0.92)-or in neonatal morbidity-527/1202 (43%) of neonates in the control group versus 484/1017 (47%) in the intervention group (adjusted RR 1.03 (0.89 to 1.21), P=0.67). CONCLUSIONS: This was a pragmatic evaluation of an interventional diagnostic test, conducted nationally across multiple sites. These results do not support the incorporation of PlGF testing into routine clinical investigations for women presenting with suspected preterm pre-eclampsia, but nor do they exclude its potential benefit. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02881073.