Knowledge and choices of postpartum contraception among pregnant teens.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the general knowledge and choices of postpartum contraception among pregnant teens who, at the time of the study, ranged in age from 13 to 19 years old and were receiving prenatal care at a hospital-based prenatal clinic. METHODS: Questionnaires to obtain information regarding demographic characteristics and to explore contraception knowledge and choices were voluntarily completed by 44 pregnant teens, ranging in age from 13 to 19 years old. The frequency and distribution of the variables under study were analyzed and are presented herein. RESULTS: Forty-four teens participated in the study. They had a mean age of 17.5 years. A significant proportion of the participants, 20 (45.5%), claimed not to know where to find information about contraception. All the participants acknowledged knowing about the male condom; as to other methods of contraception, 41 (93.2%) knew about oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), 31 (70.5%) knew about the patch, 30 (68.2%) knew about Depo-Provera, and 25 (56.8%) knew about intrauterine devices (IUD). The contraception methods about which the participants reported having the least knowledge were the sponge, the diaphragm, implants, the vaginal ring, and various natural methods. The majority (90.0%) of the participants agreed that they would prefer to use postpartum contraception. The contraceptive method of choice for postpartum contraception was the IUD (40%), which was followed in terms of preference by OCPs (17.5%), the patch (12.5%), and Depo-Provera (12.5%). CONCLUSION: The majority of the pregnant teens who participated in the study professed the desire to use some sort of contraceptive method to ensure that they would not become pregnant again in the near future. To that end, most of them expressed a preference for the IUD, one of the most effective contraceptive methods available today. Nevertheless, they need more access to and information about available contraceptive methods.

Pregnancy outcomes and successful rate of nifedipine therapeutic protocol implementation in a hospital of San Juan.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: evaluation of Nifedipine protocol success defined as postponement of labor for 48 hours. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: evaluation of the presence of risk factors in patients that develop preterm labor and delivery outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chart review retrospective study with patients admitted to the Hospital of the Metropolitan Area of San Juan in the period of January 1,2009 to December 31, 2010 with diagnosis of preterm labor. A total of 382 patient's records were evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria. 48 met all the requirements to be included in the study. RESULTS: There were 68.8% patients who successfully completed the 48 hours postponement of labor required to administer corticosteroid therapy for fetal lung maturation. Risk factors for preterm labor commonly observed in the study group were urinary tract infection (60.4%), previous preterm labor (43.8%), multiple gestations (12.5%), and preterm premature rupture of membranes (10.4%). DISCUSSION: The use of Nifedipine therapy in patients with preterm labor between 24-34 weeks of gestational age can be effective in the postponement of labor for 48 hours so that the patient can receive corticosteroid fetal lung maturation therapy. The most common risk factor observed in this group of patients with preterm labor was urinary tract infection.

An unexpected cause of diarrhea in a pregnant patient: a case report.

In 2009 AH1N1, a novel influenza virus was identified. Majority of complications arise in specific group of patient including pregnant women. This report is a description of the first patient encountered in our institution. Such case was a yo woman on the 23rd week of gestation that presented with several episodes of diarrhea. Shortly after admission what appeared to be a common case of gastroenteritis evolved in respiratory distress and hemodynamic instability progressing to respiratory distress syndrome. The diagnosis was delayed by the absence of respiratory symptoms at presentation as well as by the lack of rapid specific laboratories. This case was a fatality that reinforces the need of a high index of suspicion and prompt treatment even in the most atypical presentations of the disease.