Physical disability and venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy and the postpartum period are a high-risk time for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Decreased mobility is also a major risk factor. However, the risk of peripregnancy VTE among individuals with physical disabilities is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To compare the risk of peripregnancy VTE between people with a physical disability and those without a physical disability. METHODS: This population-based cohort study comprised all births in Ontario, Canada, from 2007 to 2018. Physical disability was defined as a condition diagnosed before conception that was likely to result in restricted mobility. Modified Poisson regression was used to compare the risk of VTE during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks postpartum between people with a physical disability and those without a physical disability. Adjusted relative risks (aRRs) were calculated, controlling for demographics, history of VTE, thrombophilia, and other comorbidities. An additional analysis was used to evaluate the risk of peripregnancy VTE among people with physical disabilities who used a mobility aid. RESULTS: Of 1 220 822 eligible people, 13 791 (1.1%) had a physical disability. VTE occurred during pregnancy or up to 6 weeks of the postpartum period in 0.85% of the individuals with a physical disability and 0.47% of those without a physical disability (aRR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.26-1.83). The rate of VTE was notably higher in those with a physical disability requiring a mobility aid (3.0%), generating an aRR of 3.05 (95% CI, 1.45-6.41), than in those without a physical disability. CONCLUSION: Pregnant people with a physical disability, especially those using a mobility aid, are at an increased risk of VTE. Anticoagulant prophylaxis could be considered in this group, especially in the presence of additional risk factors.

Screening for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in Pregnancy: Room for Improvement.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the proportion of pregnant women who are tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia as part of their prenatal care and to examine patient and provider factors affecting testing rates. METHODS: The study investigators conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients who delivered at St. Michael's Hospital, an urban tertiary care centre in Toronto, Ontario, between November 2015 and April 2016. Rates of testing and the prevalence of positive test results for gonorrhea and chlamydia were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to compare rates of testing among different types of prenatal care providers (obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, family practitioners, midwives) and to determine whether testing rates were affected by patient demographics or characteristics. This study was a Canadian Task Force Classification II-2 retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: Of the 1315 women who delivered at St. Michael's Hospital during the study period, 1220 met inclusion criteria for the study. Of these women, 186 (15.3%) were not tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia during their pregnancy. There were 11 cases of chlamydia (1.1%) and no cases of gonorrhea. Testing rates were not affected by patient demographic variables or obstetrical history. Midwives and family physicians had the highest testing rates among the provider groups: 93.8% and 91.4%, respectively. Generalist obstetricians tested 88.5% of their patients. Maternal-fetal medicine specialists had a significantly lower rate of testing than the other provider groups, at 64.8% (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Fifteen percent of women were not tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia during the study period even though testing was recommended as part of routine prenatal care. Testing rates varied among providers, and strategies to improve these rates need to be explored.