Timing of Catheter Removal and Effect on Urinary Retention After Cesarean Birth.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between timing of indwelling catheter removal and urinary retention after cesarean. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Eight hospitals in suburban, rural, and urban Colorado and Montana. PARTICIPANTS: Women who gave birth by cesarean from January 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022 (N = 3,496). METHODS: We categorized participants who gave birth between January 1, 2021, and June 29, 2021, (before implementation of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery initiative) into Group A and participants who gave birth between July 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, (after implementation of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery initiative) into Group B. We used descriptive statistics to report the proportion of participants in both groups who experienced urinary retention after birth. We performed chi-square tests to determine the association between the time of catheter removal and incidence of urinary retention. We used the Wilcoxon rank sum test to determine the association between length of stay and urinary retention. RESULTS: Urinary retention rates were 5.8% in Group A and 12.6% in Group B (p < .001). In both groups, participants who received epidural anesthesia experienced significantly more urinary retention than those who received spinal anesthesia (p < .001). Participants who received epidural anesthesia and experienced urinary retention pushed 16.9% longer than those without urinary retention (p < .001). The proportion of participants who experienced urinary retention after catheter removal was 19.4% at 7 hours, 4.6% at 16 hours, and 9.9% at 12 hours after birth. Length of stay was determined to be inconclusive. CONCLUSION: We determined that the optimal time of catheter removal to minimize the rate of urinary retention was 12 to 16 hours after cesarean among women who received morphine sulfate as the spinal anesthesia.

A Comparative Account of Institutional Approaches to Addressing Campus-Based Sexual Violence in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Sexual violence is prevalent on university campuses globally. In this article, we report a qualitative insider research study examining practices for addressing sexual violence at four universities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We collected, analysed, and synthesised descriptive information about the practices at each institution. We found unique institutional approaches that nonetheless share some commonalities, yieldingseveral themes that are central to practice. In reflecting on our findings, we conclude with an outline of critical considerations and a call to action for future efforts to address campus-based sexual violence, particularly as this field remains underdeveloped across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

OB HUB: Remote Electronic Fetal Monitoring Surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to implement a remote fetal surveillance unit with increased vigilance and timelier responses to electronic fetal monitor tracings to improve neonatal outcomes and increase safety. METHODS: A pilot project, OB HUB, facilitated implementation of a centralized remote fetal surveillance unit including artificial intelligence software and nurse experts dedicated to fetal monitoring interpretation. A telemetry room was established. Notification parameters were created to promote consistent communication between OB HUB nurses and bedside nurses. Outcomes for term neonates included body cooling, arterial cord pH less than 7.0, Apgar scores less than 7 at 5 minutes, emergency cesarean births, and cesarean births. Surveys were used to evaluate team perceptions of fetal safety. RESULTS: There were 2,407 births 6 months pre OB HUB implementation and 2,582 births during the 6-month trial, for a total sample of 4,989 births included in the analysis. Six births (0.25%) resulted in cooling prior to implementation and 2 (0.08%) cooling events occurred during the trial; these differences were not significant (p = .10). There were no significant differences between groups for neonatal outcomes. Average level of safety perceived by nurses and providers remained relatively unchanged when comparing pre- and postimplementation survey results; however, of those responding, 78.8% of nurses indicated the OB HUB improved safety. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: There were few adverse events in either group, thus it was a challenge to demonstrate statistically significant improvement in neonatal outcomes even with a sample of nearly 5,000 births. A larger sample is needed to support clinical utility. The OB HUB was perceived favorably by most of the L&D nurses.

A Mixed-Methods Study of the Effect of Abdominal Binders on Opioid Use and Postoperative Pain After Cesarean Birth.

OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of postoperative oxycodone use and incisional pain between two randomized groups-an intervention and a control. DESIGN: Mixed-methods design; quantitative data achieved via a randomized controlled trial, with qualitative data collected on binder use. The primary variable was oxycodone (in milligrams) required during the first 48 hours after birth, and the secondary variable was incisional pain levels measured on Postoperative Days 1 and 2. SETTING: Acute-care community hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and an acute care urban hospital in Denver, Colorado. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 220 individuals in the postpartum period after having cesarean birth. INTERVENTIONS/MEASUREMENTS: Participants were randomized to the intervention group (binder) or the control group (no binder). Data were collected on opioid usage for the first 48 hours. Participants in both groups were asked to rate their incisional pain on Postoperative Day 1 (24 hours after birth) and Postoperative Day 2 (48 hours after birth). Participants in the binder group were also asked to provide feedback on their experience wearing the binder. RESULTS: A total of 196 participants completed the study. The overall amount of oxycodone taken by individuals in the binder group was lower than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = .10). Pain scores in the binder group were significantly lower on Day 2 compared with the control group (p = .002). The majority of individuals in the binder group provided positive feedback about their experience wearing the binder. CONCLUSION: Individuals routinely receive medications to assist with pain management postoperatively. Because of growing concerns related to the nation's opioid addiction crisis, there is interest in using multimodal treatments to achieve adequate pain control for individuals postoperatively. Abdominal binders are a low-cost intervention to assist with pain management and, given the results of this study, seem like a reasonable option to consider.

Pathways to service access for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in rural Bangladesh: Exploring women's care-seeking.

BACKGROUND: While women in low- and middle-income countries face a range of barriers to accessing care for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, there is little understanding of the pathways taken to overcome these constraints and reach the services they need. This study explores the perspectives of women and communities on the influences that impact care-seeking decisions and pathways to health services. METHODS: To understand individual perspectives, we conducted 22 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia survivors (PE/E) in a tertiary hospital, where they received care after initiating PE/E services in different parts of the country. In four districts, we conducted one male and one female focus group discussion (FGD) to unearth care-seeking pathways and explore normative perspectives and the range of internal and external influences. Careful thematic analysis using Atlas-ti was applied. RESULTS: Prevailing views of women and communities across settings in Bangladesh indicate varied pathways to care throughout their pregnancy, during childbirth, and in the postnatal period influenced by internal and external factors at the individual, familial, social, and health systems levels. Internal influences draw on women's own awareness of hypertension complications and options, and their ability to decide to seek care. External factors include social influences like family and community norms, culturally-accepted alternatives, and community perceptions of the health system's capacity to provide quality care. The interaction of these factors often delay care seeking and can lead to complex pathways to care. CONCLUSION: Women's individual pathways to care were diverse, despite the homogenous community perceptions of the influences on women's care-seeking behaviors. This finding supports the need for improving quality of care in primary healthcare facilities and strengthening gender equity and community-based promotion activities through targeted policy and programming.

Low-Intervention Birth Suites Within a Community Hospital: An Innovative Approach to Perinatal Services.

Perinatal care leaders at a community hospital located in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area searched for an innovative way to provide a low-intervention option that promoted physiologic birth for women seeking intrapartum care. This reasonably priced project focused on the transformation of traditional labor and delivery rooms into birth suites and included installation of birth slings, full-size beds with home-like mattresses, new sleep sofas for the partners, and the removal of computer screens and electronic fetal monitors. In addition, the team wrote a specific birth suite policy, provided nurse education focused on intermittent auscultation and labor support techniques, and developed a birth suite curriculum for patient education. This innovative model of care demonstrated outcomes similar to those seen in community-based birth centers and received positive feedback from families who labored and gave birth in these suites. In the instance when the birth suite is no longer the appropriate environment for intrapartum care secondary to risk factors, a woman's preference, or obstetric emergency management, this model allows for expeditious transfer of the woman or newborn to a location where an appropriate higher level of care can be provided. Converting 2 labor and delivery rooms to low-intervention birth suites required minimal funding and enabled a community hospital in Colorado to expand its perinatal services to women who are seeking low-intervention birth options that promote physiologic birth.

Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial of Bladder Management in Labor With Epidural Analgesia/Anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of continuous indwelling catheterization with those of intermittent catheterization during labor with epidural analgesia/anesthesia on mode of birth and incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms in the postpartum period. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Labor and delivery units at three metropolitan hospitals in the Western United States. PARTICIPANTS: Women (N = 252) who were nulliparous with term, singleton pregnancies in labor with epidural analgesia/anesthesia. METHODS: Participants were randomized to indwelling or intermittent (every 2 hours) catheterization groups after the administration of epidural analgesia/anesthesia during labor. One to 2 weeks after discharge, participants were contacted and questioned about symptoms of UTI. RESULTS: A total of 252 participants were enrolled in the study: 81% (n = 202) gave birth vaginally, and 19% (n = 50) gave birth via cesarean. Between the indwelling and intermittent catheterization groups, demographic characteristics were similar. We found no significant difference in the incidence of cesarean birth between groups (15.6% vs. 22.5%, p = .172). Overall, 3% of participants reported and sought treatment for symptoms of UTI within 2 weeks with no significant difference between groups (p = .929). CONCLUSION: We found no differences in mode of birth or symptoms of UTI in women who received indwelling or intermittent catheterization during epidural analgesia/anesthesia. We recommend additional research with objective data for UTI diagnosis and larger samples to study the multiple potential confounding variables associated with cesarean birth after catheterization during epidural analgesia/anesthesia.

Exploring survivor perceptions of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Nigeria through the health belief model.

BACKGROUND: In Nigeria, hypertensive disorders have become the leading cause of facility-based maternal mortality. Many factors influence pregnant women's health-seeking behaviors and perceptions around the importance of antenatal care. This qualitative study describes the care-seeking pathways of Nigerian women who suffer from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. It identifies the influences - barriers and enablers - that affect their decision making, and proposes solutions articulated by women themselves to overcome the obstacles they face. Informing this study is the health belief model, a cognitive value-expectancy theory that provides a framework for exploring perceptions and understanding women's narratives around pre-eclampsia and eclampsia-related care seeking. METHODS: This study adopted a qualitative design that enables fully capturing the narratives of women who experienced pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during their pregnancy. In-depth interviews were conducted with 42 women aged 17-48 years over five months in 2015 from Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kogi, Ondo and Sokoto states to ensure representation from each geo-political zone in Nigeria. These qualitative data were analyzed through coding and memo-writing, using NVivo 11 software. RESULTS: We found that many of the beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and behaviors of women are consistent across the country, with some variation between the north and south. In Nigeria, women's perceived susceptibility and threat of health complications during pregnancy and childbirth, including pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, influence care-seeking behaviors. Moderating influences include acquisition of knowledge of causes and signs of pre-eclampsia, the quality of patient-provider antenatal care interactions, and supportive discussions and care seeking-enabling decisions with families and communities. These cues to action mitigate perceived mobility, financial, mistrust, and contextual barriers to seeking timely care and promote the benefits of maternal and newborn survival and greater confidence in and access to the health system. CONCLUSIONS: The health belief model reveals intersectional effects of childbearing norms, socio-cultural beliefs and trust in the health system and elucidates opportunities to intervene and improve access to quality and respectful care throughout a woman's pregnancy and childbirth. Across Nigerian settings, it is critical to enhance context-adapted community awareness programs and interventions to promote birth preparedness and social support.

Reducing the Primary Cesarean Birth Rate: A Quality Improvement Project.

INTRODUCTION: Research continues to support vaginal birth as the safest mode of childbirth, but despite this, cesarean birth has become the most common surgical procedure performed on women. The rate has increased 500% since the 1970s without a corresponding improvement in maternal or neonatal outcomes. A Colorado community hospital recognized that its primary cesarean birth rate was higher than national and state benchmark levels. To reduce this rate, the hospital collaborated with its largest maternity care provider group to implement a select number of physiologic birth practices and measure improvement in outcomes. PROCESS: Using a pre- and postprocess measure study design, the quality improvement project team identified and implemented 3 physiologic birth parameters over a 12-month period that have been shown to promote vaginal birth. These included reducing elective induction of labor in women less than 41 weeks' gestation; standardizing triage to admit women at greater than or equal to 4 cm dilation; and increasing the use of intermittent auscultation as opposed to continuous fetal monitoring for fetal surveillance. The team also calculated each obstetrician-gynecologist's primary cesarean birth rate monthly and delivered these rates to the providers. OUTCOMES: Outcomes showed that the provider group decreased its primary cesarean birth rate from 28.9% to 12.2% in the 12-month postprocess measure period. The 57.8% decrease is statistically significant (odds ratio [OR], 0.345; z = 6.52, P < .001; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.249-0.479). DISCUSSION: While this quality improvement project cannot be translated to other settings, promotion of physiologic birth practices, along with audit and feedback, had a statistically significant impact on the primary cesarean birth rate for this provider group and, consequently, on the community hospital where they attend births.

Hydrocortisone Cream to Reduce Perineal Pain after Vaginal Birth: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: To determine if the use of hydrocortisone cream decreases perineal pain in the immediate postpartum period. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial (RCT), crossover study design, with each participant serving as their own control. Participants received three different methods for perineal pain management at three sequential perineal pain treatments after birth: two topical creams (corticosteroid; placebo) and a control treatment (no cream application). Treatment order was randomly assigned, with participants and investigators blinded to cream type. The primary dependent variable was the change in perineal pain levels (posttest minus pretest pain levels) immediately before and 30 to 60 minutes after perineal pain treatments. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance, with p < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 27 participants completed all three perineal pain treatments over a 12-hour period. A reduction in pain was found after application of both the topical creams, with average perineal pain change scores of -4.8 ± 8.4 mm after treatment with hydrocortisone cream (N = 27) and -6.7 ± 13.0 mm after treatment with the placebo cream (N = 27). Changes in pain scores with no cream application were 1.2 ± 10.5 mm (N = 27). Analysis of variance found a significant difference between treatment groups (F2,89 = 3.6, p = 0.03), with both cream treatments having significantly better pain reduction than the control, no cream treatment (hydrocortisone vs. no cream, p = 0.04; placebo cream vs. no cream, p = 0.01). There were no differences in perineal pain reduction between the two cream treatments (p = .54). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This RCT found that the application of either hydrocortisone cream or placebo cream provided significantly better pain relief than no cream application.

Compartment syndrome of the foot after calcaneal fracture.

BACKGROUND: Compartment syndrome of the foot as a result of a calcaneal fracture has received only occasional consideration in the recent Emergency Medicine literature, yet it remains a challenging diagnosis to make. The devastating consequences of untreated compartment syndrome of the foot include clawing of the lesser toes, stiffness, chronic pain, motor weakness, neurovascular dysfunction, and fixed deformities of the foot. In addition to decreased quality of life, this also leads to lost time at work and lost wages. Calcaneal fractures can lead to devastating long-term disability that is often permanent and life-altering for patients suffering from this injury. Approximately 10% of patients with these fractures develop compartment syndrome of the foot. The pathogenesis of calcaneal fractures is well recognized, and the surgical treatment techniques continue to evolve. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this case report are to increase understanding of the pathophysiology of compartment syndrome and its short- and long-term consequences, to improve the ability to diagnose compartment syndrome, and to emphasize the need for emergent surgical treatment. CASE REPORT: A 37-year-old man sustained an isolated comminuted, extra-articular calcaneus fracture that resulted in compartment syndrome of the foot. The diagnosis required measurement of several compartments in the foot. He subsequently received emergent operative decompression and experienced a positive outcome. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of compartment syndrome of the foot is a clinical one, and diagnostic tools such as radiographic imaging and compartment pressure monitoring can help confirm the diagnosis. It is also important to understand the long-term sequelae of this injury and to involve a specialist early in the decision-making and treatment process.

Comparison of delayed versus immediate pushing during second stage of labor for nulliparous women with epidural anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the use of delayed pushing after the onset of the second stage of labor decreases the time of active pushing and decreases maternal fatigue. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Labor and delivery unit of a not-for-profit community hospital. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of nulliparous laboring women with epidural anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Immediate or delayed pushing (2 hours) during the second stage of labor at the time of complete cervical dilatation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The length of pushing, total length of the second stage, and maternal fatigue. RESULTS: A total of 77 women were studied (immediate pushing group=39; delayed pushing=38). The immediate pushing group averaged 94 (± 57) minutes in active pushing, while the delayed pushing group averaged 68 (± 46) minutes, a statistically significant difference (p=.04). No significant differences were found in fatigue scores between the immediate and delayed pushing groups (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found that by delaying the onset of active pushing for 2 hours after the beginning of the second stage of labor, the time that nulliparous women with epidural anesthesia spent in active pushing was significantly decreased by 27%. Although the delayed pushing group rested for up to 2 hours, the total time in the second stage of labor averaged only 59 minutes longer than the immediate pushing group.