Validation of the accuracy of postpartum haemorrhage data in the ObstetriX database: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Data related to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) are important clinical parameters which can be applied to all places of birth, and their recording can be missed by busy clinicians providing critical care to women. We compared the accuracy of electronic ObstetriX records to the paper-based medical records of the women who sustained PPH. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study over a period of one month, 363 electronic records were compared to the paper-based medical records. The volume of blood loss for each patient and interventions for PPH were compared across birth unit, operating theatre and postpartum ward. The kappa statistic for agreement between the two types of recording methods was calculated. RESULTS: There was substantial agreement between the ObstetriX records and medical records for the volume of blood loss at birth (kappa = 0.74), but poor agreement between records for the cumulative total volume of blood loss (kappa = 0.18). More women who experienced PPH and delivered in the operating theatre had errors in their ObstetriX records compared to women who had PPH with births in the birth unit (50% vs 16%; n = 73, P = 0.005). Interventions for PPH were found to be poorly recorded in ObstetriX, with 84% (n = 64/76) of women who experienced PPH having none of the interventions they received recorded. CONCLUSIONS: The ObstetriX database was not a generally reliable source of data relating to PPH. However, some data were recorded reliably, in particular, the volume of blood loss at birth.

Point-of-care measurement of fetal blood lactate - Time to trust a new device.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care lactate devices are used worldwide for intrapartum decision making. Current practice is often based on Lactate Pro (Arkray) but its imminent product discontinuation necessitates determination of an optimal replacement device. AIMS: To evaluate the performance of Lactate Pro and two other point-of-care devices, Lactate Pro 2 (Arkray) and StatStrip (Nova Biomedical), and to derive scalp lactate cut-offs equivalent to the current intervention trigger of >4.8 mmol/L. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Paired umbilical cord arterial and venous blood samples from 109 births were tested on the three point-of-care products (two devices each), cross-compared with the reference method blood gas analyser. RESULTS: All brands deviate from the blood gas analyser, with Lactate Pro and StatStrip results consistently lower and Lactate Pro 2 consistently higher. Standard deviation from the blood gas analyser was smallest for StatStrip (0.78 mmol/L, cord artery), and largest for Lactate Pro 2 (1.03 mmol/L, cord artery). Within-brand variation exists and is similar for all brands (mean absolute difference on cord artery 0.23-0.30 mmol/L). Equivalent values to the 4.8 mmol/L intervention threshold based on Lactate Pro are 4.9-5.0 mmol/L for StatStrip and 5.3-5.9 mmol/L for Lactate Pro 2, calculated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: StatStrip appears superior to Lactate Pro 2 to replace the original Lactate Pro. Using StatStrip, the 4.8 mmol/L intervention threshold equivalent was 4.9-5.0 mmol/L. The variation in accuracy of point-of-care lactate devices may exceed the small increments (eg <4.2 mmol/L vs >4.8 mmol/L) that guide obstetric decisions.