ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe international surveillance and treatment strategies for managing anti-SSA/Ro autoantibody positive pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: An electronic REDCap questionnaire was distributed to Fetal Heart Society and North American Fetal Therapy Network members which queried institution-based risk stratification, surveillance methods/frequency, conduction abnormality treatments, and postnatal anti-SSA/Ro pregnancy assessment. RESULTS: 101 responses from 59 centers (59% US, 17% international) were collected. Most (79%) do not risk stratify pregnancies by anti-SSA/Ro titer; those that do use varied cutoff values. Many pregnant rheumatology patients are monitored for cardiac abnormalities regardless of maternal anti-SSA/Ro status. Surveillance strategies were based on maternal factors (anti-SSA/Ro status 85%, titer 25%, prior affected child 79%) and monitoring durations varied. Most respondents treat 2° and 3° fetal atrioventricular block, commonly with dexamethasone and/or IVIG. CONCLUSIONS: Wide variation exists in current fetal cardiac surveillance and treatment for anti-SSA/Ro autoantibody positive pregnancies, highlighting the need for evidence-based protocols to optimize care.
Subject(s)
Atrioventricular Block , Child , Female , Pregnancy , Humans , Autoantibodies , Fetal Heart , Health Facilities , Prenatal Care , VitaminsABSTRACT
Unguarded mitral valve orifice is a rare disease with only 7 described cases in the literature. We describe the first known case of unguarded mitral valve orifice with normal segmental cardiac anatomy, severe left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction, aortic atresia, and atrial flutter. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Inpatient healthcare delivery to people who use drugs is an opportunity to provide acute medical stabilization and offer treatment for underlying substance use disorder (SUD). The process of delivering quality healthcare to people with SUD can present challenges. METHODS: We convened a group of stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for improving healthcare safety and employee satisfaction when providing inpatient care to people with SUD. RESULTS: We developed, implemented, and evaluated a "Pain and Addiction Agreement" tool, a document to guide discussions between providers and patients about expectations and policies for inpatient care. CONCLUSIONS: In this article, we share our experience of working closely with stakeholders. We hope that our project can serve as a blueprint motivating other centers to pursue quality improvement initiatives to improve healthcare for people with SUD and support the people who take care of them in the hospital.
