Lessons Learned From a Gap Analysis of Obstetric Hemorrhage Protocols across a Health System.

INTRODUCTION: The United States has experienced a rising incidence of maternal deaths, including those attributable to obstetric hemorrhage (OBH). In response, the National Partnership for Maternal Safety developed a standardized OBH Consensus Bundle with the goal of universal adoption. In 2016 a large western Pennsylvania health system adopted the OBH Consensus Bundle across its 8 obstetrical units, with the goal to improve maternal outcomes. METHODS: Gap analysis was used to identify differences between existing OBH protocols and the OBH Consensus Bundle from January to June 2016. Identified gaps as well as existing practices of success were used to systematically develop and implement a standardized system-wide OBH improvement initiative. Hospitals were then categorized by annual birth volume as high (> 2000), medium (500-2000), and low (< 500) with analysis performed across these groups to identify potential trends. RESULTS: All hospitals had individual successes as well as gaps that were used to direct the system-wide OBH improvement initiative. In some cases, individual plans were tailored to meet hospital resources. When hospitals were compared by annual birth volume, variation existed in their preparedness for, and management of OBH, with the single low-volume hospital having the most gaps. DISCUSSION: This gap analysis identified areas for improvement among all hospitals in a health system regardless of annual birth volume. This systematic approach of evaluation of current protocols and identification of improvement targets with implementation strategies may improve maternity outcomes. Additionally, these lessons described may provide a useful framework for other hospitals and health systems as they implement their own safety bundles.

Impact of Obesity on the Rate of Recurrent Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Women Treated with 17-alpha Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine if the rate of recurrent spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) in women treated with 17-α hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) is modified by maternal body mass index (BMI). STUDY DESIGN: We performed a secondary analysis of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to prevent recurrent PTB randomized controlled trial. All women received 17-OHPC. RESULTS: A total of 708 women were included. Rates of spontaneous PTB did not vary significantly by BMI category. With stratification by obesity class and gestational age at delivery, the unadjusted risk for PTB using earlier gestational cutoffs (< 35, 32, and 28 weeks) demonstrated an association between preterm delivery and increasing severity of obesity. With adjustment for potential confounders, there was no statistically significant relationship between BMI and spontaneous PTB. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the risk of PTB in women receiving 250 mg 17-OHPC is not dependent on maternal BMI after adjustment for confounding variables. Pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated a wide variation in plasma concentration of 17-OHPC across the population with likely considerable overlap in plasma concentrations among the obese and nonobese population. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of BMI on efficacy of 17-OHPC prior to any dose adjustment in this population.

A randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial of the effects of fluid rate and/or presence of dextrose in intravenous fluids on the labor course of nulliparas.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged labor has been demonstrated to increase adverse maternal and neonatal outcome. A practice that may decrease the risk of prolonged labor is the modification of fluid intake during labor. OBJECTIVE: Several studies demonstrated that increased hydration in labor as well as addition of dextrose-containing fluids may be associated with a decrease in length of labor. The purpose of our study was to characterize whether high-dose intravenous fluids, standard-dose fluids with dextrose, or high-dose fluids with dextrose show a difference in the duration of labor in nulliparas. STUDY DESIGN: Nulliparous subjects with singletons who presented in active labor were randomized to 1 of 3 groups of intravenous fluids: 250 mL/h of normal saline, 125 mL/h of 5% dextrose in normal saline, or 250 mL/h of 2.5% dextrose in normal saline. The primary outcome was total length of labor from initiation of intravenous fluid in vaginally delivered subjects. Secondary outcomes included cesarean delivery rate and length of second stage of labor, among other maternal and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: In all, 274 subjects who met inclusion criteria were enrolled. There were no differences in baseline characteristics among the 3 groups. There was no difference in the primary outcome of total length of labor in vaginally delivered subjects among the 3 groups. First stage of labor duration, second stage of labor duration, and cesarean delivery rates were also equivalent. There were no differences identified in other secondary outcomes including clinical chorioamnionitis, postpartum hemorrhage, blood loss, Apgar scores, or neonatal intensive care admission. CONCLUSION: There is no difference in length of labor or delivery outcomes when comparing high-dose intravenous fluids, addition of dextrose, or use of high-dose intravenous fluids with dextrose in nulliparous women who present in active labor.

Delayed villous maturation in term placentas exposed to opioid maintenance therapy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder among pregnant women is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes and is increasing in the United States. The standard of care for pregnant women with opioid use disorder is opioid maintenance therapy including either methadone or buprenorphine, which can be initiated at any time during pregnancy. These medications are known to cross the placenta but their placental and fetal effects have not been well characterized. Delayed villous maturation, a placental finding associated with stillbirth, was observed in placentas exposed to opioid maintenance therapy. Given the association of delayed villous maturation with stillbirth, and the possible relationship between opioid maintenance therapy and delayed villous maturation, this study was undertaken to explore the association between opioid maintenance therapy and this placental finding. Delayed villous maturation was not previously reported in placentas exposed to opioids or opioid maintenance therapy. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to compare risk of delayed villous maturation in term placentas exposed and unexposed to opioid maintenance therapy with buprenorphine or methadone. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted between 2010 through 2012 at Magee-Womens Hospital comparing delayed villous maturation in placentas of women with opioid use disorder exposed to either buprenorphine (n = 86) or methadone (n = 268) versus women without opioid use disorder (n = 978). Potential covariates were assessed in univariate analyses with none significantly associated with delayed villous maturation. The final model used conditional logistic regression adjusting for smoking status alone. RESULTS: Among women without opioid use disorder (and therefore not exposed to opioid maintenance therapy), delayed villous maturation was identified in 5.7% of placentas while the prevalence among women treated with buprenorphine or methadone was 8.1% and 10.8%. Overall, the crude odds of being diagnosed with delayed villous maturation were significantly greater in those exposed to opioid maintenance therapy compared to those not exposed (odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.89). When considered separately, women treated with methadone had significantly greater odds of having a placenta with delayed villous maturation than women without exposure to opioid maintenance therapy (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.52-3.20). Women treated with buprenorphine did not have significantly greater odds of this placental diagnosis when compared to the women unexposed to opioid maintenance therapy (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-3.31). Results were similar after accounting for smoking. CONCLUSION: Delayed villous maturation was more common in the placentas of women exposed to opioid maintenance therapy. Further studies are required to characterize rates and extent of delayed villous maturation in the general population as well as to differentiate between possible effects of opioid exposure (eg, heroin, illicit use of prescription opioids) vs those of opioid maintenance therapy (buprenorphine and methadone).

A prospective cohort study of medication reconciliation using pharmacy technicians in the emergency department to reduce medication errors among admitted patients.

BACKGROUND: The collection of a complete, verified medication history is essential to patient safety. The involvement of clinical pharmacists has been shown to improve the completeness and accuracy of medication histories; however, to our knowledge, involvement of pharmacy technicians has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine whether verification of medication histories by pharmacy technicians in the emergency department (ED) would result in fewer errors in inpatient medication regimens compared to verification by the admitting physician team. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study of adult ED patients admitted for continuing care. In the intervention group, medication reconciliation was performed by pharmacy technicians in the ED before the creation of physician admitting orders. In the control group, pharmacy technicians conducted their history taking later, after admission. Initial admitting orders were then compared to the pharmacy technicians' medication reconciliation taken before admission (intervention group) or after admission (control group). Medication discrepancies were classified and determined to be justified or unjustified. Unjustified discrepancies were rated for harm potential. RESULTS: In our cohort of 113 intervention and 75 control subjects, the mean age was 55 years (standard deviation [SD] 16 years); 96 patients (51%) were male. In the intervention group, 566 changes to home medications were observed on admission; 352 (62%) were unjustified. Among controls, 406 changes to home medications were observed; 228 (56%) were unjustified. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.0586). The rate of unjustified medication changes per patient was likewise not significantly different (3.14 [SD 2.98] in interventions vs. 3.17 [SD 2.81] in controls; p = 0.9570). The rate of medical errors did not differ between study groups, nor did severity ratings of unjustified changes. CONCLUSIONS: Medication reconciliation by pharmacy technicians in the ED did not lead to a significant reduction in unjustified medication discrepancies.

Use of hemoglobin A1c as an early predictor of gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess an early hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) value from 5.7-6.4% as an early predictor of progression to gestational diabetes (GDM). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was performed on all women who delivered at a single institution over 2 years who had an early screening HgbA1c test performed at ≤20 weeks of gestation. Women with known preexisting diabetes mellitus or HgbA1c values ≥6.5% were excluded. The primary outcome was GDM development. Secondary outcomes included delivery route, maternal weight gain, birthweight, and neonatal morbidities. Women with an HgbA1c value of 5.7-6.4% were compared with those with an HgbA1c level of <5.7%. RESULTS: Nearly one-third of those patients in the HgbA1c 5.7-6.4% group (27.3%) experience the development of GDM compared with only 8.7% in the HgbA1c <5.7% group (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence level, 2.0-7.7). This 3-fold increase remained significant (adjusted odds ratio, 2.4) after adjustment for age, prepregnancy body mass index, gestational age at HgbA1c collection, gestational age at screening, ethnicity, and method of screening. There were no significant differences in the need for medical treatment, weight gain, delivery route, birthweight, macrosomia, or neonatal morbidities. CONCLUSION: More than 10% of patients in our cohort had an early screening HgbA1c value of 5.7-6.4%. Women in this group have a significantly higher risk of progression to GDM compared with women with normal HgbA1c values and should be considered for closer GDM surveillance and possible intervention.

A gut-wrenching feeling: pregnancy complicated by massive ventral hernia with bowel obstruction.

A 44 year old G4P3 presents with massive hernia recurrence and bowel obstruction. Her symptoms resolve with conservative management, and she is delivered by cesarean section at term with herniorrhaphy performed 10 weeks postpartum.