Trail Magic.

In this narrative medicine essay, an obstetrician-gynecologist describes a day in her life of crossing state lines to provide abortion care for people from all over the Southeast US in the post-Dobbs era.

Evidence Based Management of Labor.

Importance: Induction of labor (IOL) is a common obstetric intervention. Augmentation of labor and active management of the second stage is frequently required in obstetric practice. However, techniques around labor and induction management vary widely. Evidence-based practice regarding induction and labor management can reduce birth complications such as infection and hemorrhage and decrease rates of cesarean delivery. Objective: To review existing evidence on IOL and labor management strategies with respect to preparing for induction, cervical ripening, induction and augmentation, and second stage of labor techniques. Evidence acquisition: Review of recent original research, review articles, and guidelines on IOL using PubMed (2000-2022). Results: Preinduction, pelvic floor training and perineal massage reduce postpartum urinary incontinence and perineal trauma, respectively. Timely membrane sweeping (38 weeks) can promote spontaneous labor and prevent postterm inductions. Outpatient Foley bulb placement in low-risk nulliparous patients with planned IOL reduces time to delivery. Inpatient Foley bulb use beyond 6 to 12 hours shows no benefit. When synthetic prostaglandins are indicated, vaginal misoprostol should be preferred. For nulliparous patients and those with obesity, oxytocin should be titrated using a high-dose protocol. Once cervical dilation is complete, pushing should begin immediately. Warm compresses and perineal massage decrease risk of perineal trauma. Conclusion and relevance: Several strategies exist to assist in successful IOL and promote vaginal delivery. Evidence-based strategies should be used to improve outcomes and decrease risk of complications and cesarean delivery. Recommendations should be shared across interdisciplinary team members, creating a model that promotes safe patient care.

Patient and Surgery Characteristics of Inpatient Hysterectomies Among Transgender Individuals.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate population-based rates of inpatient hysterectomy and accompanying bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy by indication and evaluate surgical patient characteristics by indication, year, patient age, and hospital location. Methods: We used 2016 and 2017 cross-sectional data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to estimate the hysterectomy rate for individuals aged 18-54 years with a primary indication for gender-affirming care (GAC) compared to other indications. Outcome measures were population-based rates for inpatient hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy by indication. Results: The population-based rate of inpatient hysterectomy for GAC per 100,000 was 0.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02-0.09) in 2016 and 0.09 (95% CI = 0.03-0.15) in 2017. For comparison, the rates per 100,000 for fibroids were 85.76 in 2016 and 73.25 in 2017. Rates of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in the setting of hysterectomy were higher in the GAC group (86.4%) than in comparison groups (22.7%-44.1% for all other benign indications, 77.4% for cancer) across all age ranges. A higher rate of hysterectomies performed for GAC was done laparoscopically or robotically (63.6%) than other indications, and none was done vaginally, as opposed to comparison groups (0.7%-9.8%). Conclusion: The population-based rate for GAC was higher in 2017 compared to 2016 and low compared to other hysterectomy indications. Rates of concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were more prevalent for GAC than for other indications at similar ages. The patients in the GAC group tended to be younger, insured, and most procedures occurred in the Northeast (45.5%) and West (36.4%).

Best Practices for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship: An Empty Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Though letters of recommendation (LOR) for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) fellowship are a critical part of application process, little is known regarding best practices for writing them. This scoping review sought to identify published data outlining best practices in writing MFM fellowship LOR. STUDY DESIGN: Scoping review conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and JBI guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and ERIC were searched, by professional medical librarian using database-specific controlled vocabulary and keywords representing MFM, fellowship, as well as personnel selection, academic performance, examinations, or clinical competence in 4/22. Prior to execution, the search was peer reviewed by another professional medical librarian using the Peer Review Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) checklist. Citations imported to Covidence, dual screened by authors with disagreements resolved by discussion, and extraction performed by one author and checked by the second. RESULTS: A total of 1,154 studies were identified, with 162 removed as duplicates. Of the 992 screened, 10 imported for full-text review. None of these met inclusion criteria; four were not about fellows and six did not report on best practices for writing LOR for MFM. CONCLUSION: No articles were identified that outlined best practices for writing LOR for MFM fellowship. The lack of guidance and published data guiding those writing LOR for MFM fellowship applicants is concerning given the importance of these as a tool used by fellowship directors in selecting applicants for interviews and ranking. KEY POINTS: · No published articles were identified addressing best practices for writing LOR for MFM fellowship.. · Fellowship directors rely on LOR for offering interviews and rank list.. · Future research is urgently needed to identify best practices..

Pregnant individuals' information needs and intention to vaccinate their children with routine and COVID-19 vaccines: Findings from a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: The current study assessed pregnant individuals' intention to accept routine and COVID-19 vaccines for their baby after birth, and to identify key demographic (e.g., age) and nondemographic characteristics (e.g., prior birth) associated with vaccination intention. METHODS: The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey with pregnant individuals attending prenatal practices affiliated with a large academic medical center and two rural county health departments in the southeastern United States. The survey included 11 questions and was self-administered by pregnant individuals in clinic settings. The final analysis included responses from 443 pregnant individuals. RESULTS: Only 67% of pregnant individuals planned to vaccinate their baby with all recommended routine vaccines; an additional 22% reported having questions about recommendations. Only 35% of pregnant individuals said they would vaccinate their baby as soon as possible with a COVID-19 vaccine. Younger pregnant individuals and those identifying as Black or African American had lower routine and COVID-19 vaccination intention. Routine vaccination, but not COVID-19 vaccination intention, was associated with familiarity with routine vaccination schedule, trimester of pregnancy, Hispanic ethnicity, history of prior birth, and having access to a computer. CONCLUSION: Study findings support differential tailoring of future interventions targeting pregnant individuals to promote routine and COVID-19 vaccines for children.

Parenthood and Medical Training: Challenges and Experiences of Physician Moms in the US.

Phenomenon: Balancing the demands of medical training and parenthood is challenging. We explored perceptions of programmatic support, parental leave, breastfeeding, and self-reported biggest challenges among a large cohort of physician mothers in a variety of medical specialties and across the stage of training when they had their first child. Our goal was to inform strategies to help improve the physician parent experience. Approach: This cross-sectional, observational survey study was performed using a convenience sample from an online physician-mom support group from January to February 2018. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to report results and examine relationships between career stage at first child and outcome variables. Responses to the open-ended question, "What is your biggest challenge as a physician mom?" were qualitatively analyzed. Findings: The survey received 896 complete responses. The most common specialties were obstetrics and gynecology (25.3%), pediatrics (19.9%), internal medicine or medicine/pediatrics (17.1%), and family medicine (10.2%). The majority of participants (63.9%) had their first child during medical training, including medical school (14.3%), residency (35.8%) or fellowship (13.6%). Medical students were less likely to perceive programmatic support than residents or fellows (44.1% vs. 63.1% vs. 62.3%, respectively), and only 19.9% of participants who became parents during medical training reported having a clear and adequate parental leave policy. Nearly 70% of participants breastfed for six months or more, with no statistical differences across career stage. Most participants (57.6%) delayed child-bearing for one or more reasons, with 32.3% delaying to complete training. The most common codes applied to responses for 'biggest challenges as a physician mom' were insufficient time, lack of work-life balance, missing out, and over-expectation. Insights: Physician mothers, particularly those who had their first child during training, continue to struggle with support from training programs, finding work-life balance, and feelings of inadequacy. Interventions such as clear and adequate leave policies, program-sponsored or onsite childcare and improved programmatic support of breastfeeding and pumping may help to ameliorate the challenges described by our participants.

Reproductive Considerations for the LGBTQ+ Community.

When working with LGBTQ+ patients who want to build families, primary care providers play a key role in increasing access to reproductive health care. There is growing demand for assisted reproductive services among LGBTQ+ individuals who do not already have their own children or do not wish to adopt. Fertility-preservation options are available for transgender patients; however, many of these treatments are inaccessible to patients because of lack of insurance coverage and high cost. Legal options for LGBTQ+ patients' reproduction vary by state. Knowledge of the laws and regulations in your own state of practice is necessary to manage expectations.

Gabapentin as an adjunct to paracervical block for perioperative pain management for first-trimester uterine aspiration: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pain management approaches during uterine aspiration vary, which include local anesthetic, oral analgesics, moderate sedation, deep sedation, or a combination of approaches. For local anesthetic approaches specifically, we continue to have suboptimal pain control. Gabapentin as an adjunct to pain management has proven to be beneficial in gynecologic surgery. We sought to evaluate the impact of gabapentin on perioperative pain during surgical management of first-trimester abortion or early pregnancy loss with uterine aspiration under local anesthesia. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that adding gabapentin to local anesthesia will reduce perioperative and postoperative pain associated with uterine aspiration. Secondary outcomes included tolerability of gabapentin and postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and anxiety. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of gabapentin 600 mg given 1 to 2 hours preoperatively among subjects receiving a first-trimester uterine aspiration under paracervical block in an outpatient ambulatory surgery center. There were 111 subjects randomized. The primary outcome was pain at time of uterine aspiration as measured on a 100-mm visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes included pain at other perioperative time points. To assess changes in pain measures, an intention to treat mixed effects model was fit with treatment groups (gabapentin vs control) as a between-subjects factor and time point as a within-subjects factor plus their interaction term. Because of a non-normal distribution of pain scores, the area under the curve was calculated for secondary outcomes with comparison of groups utilizing Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: Among the 111 randomized, most subjects were Black or African American (69.4%), mean age was 26 years (±5.5), and mean gestational age was 61.3 days (standard deviation, 14.10). Mean pain scores at time of uterine aspiration were 66.77 (gabapentin) vs 71.06 (placebo), with a mean difference of -3.38 (P=.51). There were no significant changes in pain score preoperatively or intraoperatively. Subjects who received gabapentin had significantly lower levels of pain at 10 minutes after surgery (mean difference [standard error (SE)]=-13.0 [-5.0]; P=.01) and 30 minutes after surgery (mean difference [SE]=-10.8 [-5.1]; P=.03) compared with subjects who received placebo. Median nausea scores and incidence of emesis pre- and postoperatively did not differ between groups. Similarly, anxiety scores did not differ between groups, before or after the procedure. At 10 and 30 minutes after the procedure, most participants reported no side effects or mild side effects, and this did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Preoperative gabapentin did not reduce pain during uterine aspiration. However, it did reduce postoperative pain, which may prove to be a desired attribute of its use, particularly in cases where postoperative pain may be a greater challenge.

Resident Education in Complex Obstetric Procedures: Are We Adequately Preparing Tomorrow's Obstetricians?

OBJECTIVES: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones for obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents include obstetrical technical skills. We sought to describe resident experience with surgical obstetrics and comfort performing procedures independently postgraduation. STUDY DESIGN: An anonymous 27-question e-survey was sent to OB/GYN residents in United States in March 2018, using the Council of Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology coordinator listserv. Complex obstetric procedures included: forceps-assisted vaginal delivery (FAVD) and vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery (VAVD), cerclage, breech second twin, breech delivery, perineal repairs, and cesarean hysterectomy. Technical skill questions included experience as primary surgeon, comfort performing procedures independently, and for 4th year residents-comfort performing procedures postresidency. Demographic information was queried. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze responses. RESULTS: A total of 417 residents completed the survey. Respondents were 88% female, 75% from academic programs, and 48% postgraduate year 3 and 4. Among all residents, many had been primary surgeon in operative vaginal deliveries (51% FAVD, 72% VAVD), fewer for breech vaginal delivery (21%), breech second twin (34%), cesarean hysterectomy (21%), and 4th degree repairs (37%). All 4th-year respondents stated that they would feel comfortable performing either VAVD or FAVD postresidency. Note that 17, 33, 28, and 74% would not feel comfortable performing a 4th degree repair, cesarean hysterectomy, breech second twin, and breech vaginal delivery, respectively, postresidency. CONCLUSION: Despite ACGME recommendations, data suggest that many graduating residents may not be comfortable with these complex procedures.

Pain perception with cervical tenaculum placement during intrauterine device insertion: a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: 'Slow' and 'cough' techniques for tenaculum placement are commonly used. This trial sought to determine if one method of placement resulted in less pain for patients. METHODS: This study was a randomised controlled trial of patients presenting for intrauterine device placement. Sixty-six participants were randomised to tenaculum placement via the 'slow' method (closure of tenaculum over a 5-s period) versus the 'cough' method (closure of tenaculum at the time of patient's cough). The primary outcome was pain at time of tenaculum placement measured on a 100 mm visual analogue scale. The study was powered to detect a 16 mm difference in pain. Secondary outcomes included pain with insertion and provider satisfaction with tenaculum grasp. Pain scores were analysed with Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: Sixty-six women were enrolled, 33 randomised to each group. Demographics were similar in each group. The primary outcome of pain with tenaculum placement showed a median pain score of 44 (IQR=21, 63) with slow placement and 32 (IQR=19, 54) with cough placement. There was no significant difference in pain scores between methods of tenaculum placement (p=0.16). There was no significant difference in overall pain scores (p=0.12). Provider satisfaction was not associated with one method of placement (p=1). Pre-procedure anxiety was significantly associated with pain at the time of tenaculum placement (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Neither the slow method nor cough method is superior for pain reduction or provider satisfaction. Pain with tenaculum use is significantly associated with anxiety. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02969421.

Gabapentin for Perioperative Pain Management for Uterine Aspiration: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of oral gabapentin in conjunction with usual oral pain management regimens of lorazepam, ibuprofen, oxycodone, and acetaminophen for surgical abortion on pain 5 minutes postprocedure. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of patients from 6 0/7-14 6/7 weeks of gestation scheduled to undergo surgical abortion at the Duke Family Planning Clinic. Participants were administered 600 mg of oral gabapentin compared with placebo with usual oral pain management. Pain score was assessed using a 100-mm visual analog scale, with the primary outcome being pain score 5 minutes after the procedure. The effect of gabapentin was assessed using a linear regression model controlling for baseline pain. We also measured pain perception 24 hours after the procedure. Secondary outcome measures included anxiety, side effects, and usage of opiate pain medication in the 24-hour postoperative period. RESULTS: Out of 113 women screened for this study; 96 women were recruited, enrolled, and randomized to study treatment arm from August 2016 to June 2018. Pain at 5 minutes after the procedure was similar between the gabapentin and placebo groups ((Equation is included in full-text article.)=3.40; 95% CI -8.20 to 15.0; P=.56). Gabapentin and placebo were well tolerated, with no statistically significant difference in side effects or anxiety levels. Although prescription of opioids after the procedure was not standardized among patients, 73% of women received a short-term prescription for oxycodone. A lower percentage of women in the gabapentin group self-reported taking opioids in the 24 hours postprocedure (18% vs 47%; odds ratio 0.26; 95% CI 0.09-0.75). CONCLUSION: The addition of gabapentin to usual oral pain management regimens with paracervical block did not reduce postoperative pain for patients undergoing outpatient surgical abortion. Although the addition of gabapentin was well tolerated and reduced oral opiate use 24 hours postprocedure, it did not affect the experience of pain during and immediately after the procedure. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02725710.

Approaches to Vaginal Bleeding and Contraceptive Counseling in Transgender and Gender Nonbinary Patients.

The transgender community has faced a long-standing history of prejudice and discrimination that has negatively affected their health. A lack of health care provider education and comfort with transgender medicine further challenges the ability of this population to obtain competent, gender-affirming medical care. As with all patients, a thorough patient history with avoidance of assumptions of sexual orientation based on gender identity is integral to providing appropriate care for transgender individuals. Vaginal bleeding in transgender men should be evaluated in a similar manner to natal women, and with knowledge of the individual's present reproductive organs. The majority of transgender men receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy will have cessation of menses by 6 months of continuous use; thus, bleeding beyond this interval warrants measurement of hormone levels and further evaluation. Progesterone-only contraceptive methods including progesterone-only pills, medroxyprogesterone acetate, or a levonorgestrel intrauterine device can be used in transgender men and nonbinary patients with continued menses despite physiologic testosterone levels, or to act as a bridge method for menstrual cessation at the time of testosterone initiation. For bleeding refractory to progesterone methods, health care providers should discuss surgical options or the use of aromatase inhibitors with their patients. Counseling on fertility desires and family planning is integral to improving the reproductive care of transgender patients. Contraceptive counseling for transgender patients should include not only the efficacy and ease of use of available methods, but also discussion of advantages and disadvantages of contraceptive options with regard to the patient's gender identity.

Care and Cancer Screening of the Transgender Population.

As sex and gender are assigned at birth before gender identity development, many individuals experience feelings of discordance between their gender identity and their sex and gender assigned at birth. The transgender community has not been well understood by medical and mental health fields. As such, this marginalized and vulnerable community faces multiple barriers to receiving health maintenance and specialized care, both at the community and patient-specific level. Many transgender individuals undergo some form of transition to the gender that matches their gender identity. Transition efforts look different for each patient because gender and gender identity occur along a continuum. Transition may include social, hormonal, and/or surgical components. As providers are caring for transgender patients, it is imperative to understand where a patient is in their gender transition and how hormonal and/or surgical therapies affect their cancer risk and screening. The aim of this article is to describe appropriate cancer screening practices and important care considerations for the primary care physician and generalist gynecologist taking care of transgender individuals.

Contraceptive Management for Women Who Are at High Risk of Thrombosis.

Managing contraception for women at high risk for thrombosis poses unique challenges. Combined estrogen and progestin contraceptives increase the risk of both venous and arterial thrombosis. They are contraindicated in women with a history of thrombosis and in other women at high risk for thrombosis. However, progestin-only contraceptives are generally considered safe in this patient population. This paper reviews the evidence linking hormonal contraception and clotting risk, outlines appropriate contraceptive methods for women at high risk for thrombosis, discusses surgical risk for sterilization in the setting of current or past thrombosis, and includes a review of the safety of hormonal methods for women who are fully anticoagulated. In general, long-acting reversible contraception is safe for women with a history of thrombosis and may offer additional noncontraceptive benefits for women who are on anticoagulant therapy, such as improved bleeding profiles.