Care of pregnant women with epilepsy in the United Kingdom: A national survey of healthcare professionals.

OBJECTIVES: To map the care provided to pregnant women with epilepsy in UK maternity units and identify future research priorities by conducting a nationwide survey of healthcare professionals. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted between 29 April and 30 October 2021. The survey included 23 questions developed and refined with relevant stakeholders, including a woman with lived experience of epilepsy and pregnancy. We used descriptive analyses to summarise responses and estimated proportions with medians and interquartile ranges. RESULTS: 144 individual healthcare professionals from 94 hospitals, representing 77 NHS Trusts, participated in the survey. Obstetricians were the most common responders (45%, 65/144) and almost half (47%, 7/15) of regions had a survey response rate per NHS Trust greater than 50%. Six pregnant women with epilepsy, on average, were booked into antenatal care per hospital per month, and 49% (46/94) of hospitals saw women for specialist antenatal care in the first trimester. The care provided across healthcare systems varied, with multiple pathways for referral to specialist care within regions. Midwife referral was the most used care pathway (80%, 75/94). Less than a third of hospitals (31%, 29/94) ran joint obstetric/neurology clinics for pregnant women with epilepsy. Most survey respondents (81%, 117/144) were confident talking to pregnant women about their risk of seizures but only a minority (20%, 29/144) used validated calculators to assess this risk. There was broad agreement across healthcare professionals that the priorities for research should focus on how to improve communication and address pregnant women's concerns regarding epilepsy and pregnancy, and to develop further understanding on the optimal use and long-term effects of anti-seizure medication. CONCLUSION: Our UK nationwide survey of hospital-based maternity services for pregnant women with epilepsy identified wide variation in when, how and by whom these women are seen, with differences between and within the UK regions. This survey highlights areas for improvement in the care of pregnant women with epilepsy.

Morphometric parameters of the odontoid process of C2 vertebrae, in Indian population, a CT evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Osteosynthesis of odontoid fractures, especially for type II odontoid fractures, is often achieved by the placement of screws. Here, utilizing CT, we evaluated the normal anatomy of the odontoid process in an Indian population to determine whether one or two screws could be anatomically accommodated to achieve fixation. METHODS: CT-based morphometric parameters of the odontoid process were assessed in 200 normal Indian patients (2018-2020). RESULTS: Of 200 patients, 127 were male, and 73 were female. The mean minimum external transverse diameter (METD) was 8.80 mm (range 6.1-11.9 mm). Six (3%) patients had a minimum internal transverse diameter (TD) of >8.0 mm that would allow for the insertion of two 3.5-mm cortical screws without tapping, while 10 (5%) patients had TDs of <7.4 mm; none had diameters of <5.5 mm. The mean length of the implant was 36.45 mm in females and 36.89 mm in males, and the mean angle of screw insertion was 60.34° in females and 60.53° in males. CONCLUSION: About two-thirds (59%) of the 200 subjects in our study had a METD of <9 mm, indicating the impracticality for introducing second screws for odontoid fixation.

Methods for managing miscarriage: a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Miscarriage, defined as the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before 24 weeks' gestation, is common with approximately 25% of women experiencing a miscarriage in their lifetime. An estimated 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Miscarriage can lead to serious morbidity, including haemorrhage, infection, and even death, particularly in settings without adequate healthcare provision. Early miscarriages occur during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and can be managed expectantly, medically or surgically. However, there is uncertainty about the relative effectiveness and risks of each option. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the relative effectiveness and safety profiles for the different management methods for early miscarriage, and to provide rankings of the available methods according to their effectiveness, safety, and side-effect profile using a network meta-analysis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register (9 February 2021), ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (12 February 2021), and reference lists of retrieved studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness or safety of methods for miscarriage management. Early miscarriage was defined as less than or equal to 14 weeks of gestation, and included missed and incomplete miscarriage. Management of late miscarriages after 14 weeks of gestation (often referred to as intrauterine fetal deaths) was not eligible for inclusion in the review. Cluster- and quasi-randomised trials were eligible for inclusion. Randomised trials published only as abstracts were eligible if sufficient information could be retrieved. We excluded non-randomised trials. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least three review authors independently assessed the trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. We estimated the relative effects and rankings for the primary outcomes of complete miscarriage and composite outcome of death or serious complications. The certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Relative effects for the primary outcomes are reported subgrouped by the type of miscarriage (incomplete and missed miscarriage). We also performed pairwise meta-analyses and network meta-analysis to determine the relative effects and rankings of all available methods. MAIN RESULTS: Our network meta-analysis included 78 randomised trials involving 17,795 women from 37 countries. Most trials (71/78) were conducted in hospital settings and included women with missed or incomplete miscarriage. Across 158 trial arms, the following methods were used: 51 trial arms (33%) used misoprostol; 50 (32%) used suction aspiration; 26 (16%) used expectant management or placebo; 17 (11%) used dilatation and curettage; 11 (6%) used mifepristone plus misoprostol; and three (2%) used suction aspiration plus cervical preparation. Of these 78 studies, 71 (90%) contributed data in a usable form for meta-analysis. Complete miscarriage Based on the relative effects from the network meta-analysis of 59 trials (12,591 women), we found that five methods may be more effective than expectant management or placebo for achieving a complete miscarriage: · suction aspiration after cervical preparation (risk ratio (RR) 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41 to 3.20, low-certainty evidence), · dilatation and curettage (RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.75, low-certainty evidence), · suction aspiration (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.62, low-certainty evidence), · mifepristone plus misoprostol (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.66, moderate-certainty evidence), · misoprostol (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.46, low-certainty evidence). The highest ranked surgical method was suction aspiration after cervical preparation. The highest ranked non-surgical treatment was mifepristone plus misoprostol. All surgical methods were ranked higher than medical methods, which in turn ranked above expectant management or placebo. Composite outcome of death and serious complications Based on the relative effects from the network meta-analysis of 35 trials (8161 women), we found that four methods with available data were compatible with a wide range of treatment effects compared with expectant management or placebo: · dilatation and curettage (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.17 to 1.06, low-certainty evidence), · suction aspiration (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.32, low-certainty evidence), · misoprostol (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.15, low-certainty evidence), · mifepristone plus misoprostol (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.84, low-certainty evidence). Importantly, no deaths were reported in these studies, thus this composite outcome was entirely composed of serious complications, including blood transfusions, uterine perforations, hysterectomies, and intensive care unit admissions. Expectant management and placebo ranked the lowest when compared with alternative treatment interventions. Subgroup analyses by type of miscarriage (missed or incomplete) agreed with the overall analysis in that surgical methods were the most effective treatment, followed by medical methods and then expectant management or placebo, but there are possible subgroup differences in the effectiveness of the available methods.  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on relative effects from the network meta-analysis, all surgical and medical methods for managing a miscarriage may be more effective than expectant management or placebo. Surgical methods were ranked highest for managing a miscarriage, followed by medical methods, which in turn ranked above expectant management or placebo. Expectant management or placebo had the highest chance of serious complications, including the need for unplanned or emergency surgery. A subgroup analysis showed that surgical and medical methods may be more beneficial in women with missed miscarriage compared to women with incomplete miscarriage. Since type of miscarriage (missed and incomplete) appears to be a source of inconsistency and heterogeneity within these data, we acknowledge that the main network meta-analysis may be unreliable. However, we plan to explore this further in future updates and consider the primary analysis as separate networks for missed and incomplete miscarriage.

Single and Multiple Level One Stage Posterior Hemivertebrectomy and Short Segment Fixation: Experience with 22 Cases and Comparison of Single vs. Multilevel Procedures with Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up.

STUDY DESIGN: Data of 22 patients with congenital scoliosis who underwent single stage posterior hemivertebrectomies and short segment fixation with a minimum follow-up of 2 years in our centre were studied retrospectively. PURPOSE: To report the efficacy of posterior hemivertebrectomy in single vs multiple level hemivertebra and compare their results. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Single stage hemivertebrectomy is a standard procedure for single level hemivertebra. Results of multiple level hemivertebrectomies have not been reported. METHODS: Twenty-two patients (9 male and 13 female) with the mean age of 11.2 years (range, 2 years 4 months to 24 years 10 months) and a mean follow up of 32 months (range, 4 to 73 months) were studied retrospectively and their results were compared. RESULTS: Average number of hemivertebrae removed was 1.46 (range, 1 to 3). Mean preoperative and postoperative coronal cob angle was 48.7° (range, 22° to 80°) and 24.2° (range, 7° to 41°), respectively (p<0.001). Mean preoperative and postoperative sagittal cobb angle was 32.1° (range, 7° to 76°) and 13.6° (range, 0° to 23°), respectively (p<0.005). Mean coronal and sagittal cob correction percentage achieved was 50.2% and 51.8% respectively. Mean follow-up was 49 months (range, 30 to 84 months). Mean loss of coronal and sagittal correction at final follow-up was 4% (0% to 13.6%) degrees and 3.5% (0% to 20%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior hemivertebrectomy in congenital scoliosis is a safe treatment option for up to 3-level hemivertebrae. Excision of thoracolumbar hemivertebrae results in better correction than thoracic and lumbar hemivertebrae.

Postoperative discitis following single-level lumbar discectomy: Our experience of 17 cases.

BACKGROUND: The established protocols of treatment of postoperative lumbar discitis have not been validated till date. We report a retrospective analysis of a series of patients with discitis following single level lumbar discectomy. We analyzed the outcome of conservative treatment of postoperative discitis with the objective to define when and what surgery was required when the conservative treatment failed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 17 cases of postoperative discitis treated from 2002 to 2009 were followed up and evaluated clinically, radiologically and by laboratory investigations. All the patients were treated initially conservatively with rest and antibiotic therapy after diagnosis and those who did not respond to conservative treatment of at least 4 weeks were treated surgically. The cases were followed up with serial C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for at least 1 year. RESULTS: The mean followup was 40.38 months (range 12-86 months). Four cases failed to respond to conservative therapy and were treated surgically. In three of these four cases, open debridement, transpedicular fixation and posterolateral fusion was performed, and in the fourth case percutaneous transpedicular fixation was done. In the former group, one case was diagnosed to be tubercular, in another case Staphylococcus aureus was cultured where as the third case culture was sterile. All operated patients showed evidence of interbody fusion at 1 year followup. CONCLUSIONS: Early detection and aggressive treatment are paramount in managing postoperative discitis and the majority do well with conservative treatment. Surgical management in the form of transpedicular fixation and debridement, when required, gives excellent results.

Delayed presentation of cervical facet dislocations.

PURPOSE: To review treatment outcomes of 19 patients with delayed presentation of cervical facet dislocations. METHODS: Records of 17 men and 2 women aged 21 to 63 (mean, 39) years who presented with unilateral (n=14) or bilateral (n=5) cervical facet dislocation after a delay of 7 to 21 (mean, 14) days were reviewed. The most common level of dislocation was C5-C6 (n=9), followed by C4-C5 (n=6), C3- C4 (n=2), and C6-C7 (n=2). The neurological status was graded according to the Frankel classification. One patient (with bilateral facet dislocation) had complete quadriplegia (grade A), 11 had incomplete spinal cord injury (grades C and D), and 7 had nerve root injury. Closed reduction using continuous skull traction for 2 days was attempted. In patients achieving closed reduction, only anterior discectomy and fusion was performed. Those who failed closed reduction underwent posterior partial/complete facetectomy and fixation. If there was traumatic disk prolapse, anterior decompression and fusion was then performed. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 46 (range, 12- 108) months. 10 of 14 patients with unilateral facet dislocation were reduced with traction and then underwent anterior discectomy and fusion. The remaining 4 patients who failed closed reduction underwent posterior facetectomy and fixation; 3 of them had traumatic disk prolapse and thus also underwent anterior discectomy and fusion with cage and plate. Four of the 5 patients with bilateral facet dislocations failed closed reduction and underwent posterior facetectomy and lateral mass fixation, as well as anterior surgery. The remaining patient achieved reduction after traction and hence underwent only anterior discectomy and fusion. All patients achieved pain relief and sufficient neck movement for normal activities. All 7 patients with nerve root injury improved completely; 9 of the 11 patients with incomplete spinal cord injury improved by one Frankel grade, and the remaining 2 by 2 grades. The patient with complete quadriplegia showed no improvement. CONCLUSION: Preoperative traction is a safe and effective initial treatment for neglected cervical facet dislocation, as it reduces the need for extensive (anterior and posterior) surgery. If closed reduction is successful, anterior discectomy and fusion is the surgery of choice. If not, posterior facetectomy and fusion followed by anterior surgery is preferred.