Therapeutic changes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in pregnancy and feto-maternal outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) frequently show non-compliance with their medication. We evaluated the compliance of patients with SLE in Jordan with their medication and the relationships with fetal and maternal outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with SLE who had no co-morbidities or antiphospholipid syndrome; and were taking only prednisolone, hydroxychloroquine, and/or antiplatelet and anticoagulant medication. RESULTS: We studied 173 pregnancies. Prednisolone was administered around pregnancy in 50 (28.9%) of these. The compliance with hydroxychloroquine, prednisolone, and anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication was 87.5%, 91.4%, and 97.3%, respectively. Non-compliance with anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy was significantly associated with pregnancy-related complications. No complications developed in participants who were non-compliant with prednisolone therapy. The mean pre-pregnancy Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) for the pregnancies was 3.7, indicating low disease activity. Pregnancies with high pre-pregnancy SLEDAI scores tended to be more likely to have preterm deliveries, intrauterine growth restriction, and stillbirth. Postpartum relapse tended to be associated with higher pre-pregnancy SLEDAI. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with pre-conceptional low SLE activity, changes in therapeutic compliance during pregnancy are not associated with adverse outcomes. In addition, post-partum relapse is not associated with pre-pregnancy SLEDAI score in therapeutically compliant patients.

Fertility-enhancing hysteroscopic surgery; multi-center retrospective cohort study of reproductive outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Hysteroscopic surgery and assisted reproduction technology are feasible ways to improve the reproductive outcome. Our aim was to study hysteroscopic septoplasty and myomectomy's effect on infertility and reproductive performance. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of patients who had unexplained infertility and/or recurrent miscarriages and had myomectomy or septoplasty in the period September 2016-october 2021 with a total of 18 months' follow up. The main outcome measures were spontaneous pregnancy, term pregnancy and miscarriage. For analysis, we used Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-five patients were included. The mean age of patients was 39 years. 40 patients had septum resection and 125 patients had hysteroscopic myomectomy. A spontaneous pregnancy rate after surgery was achieved in 46 patients (27.9%). Out of the 64 patients who had failed IVF preoperatively, 32 patients (50%) had a successful IVF post-hysteroscopic surgery and there were more successful cases in the patients who had fibroid resection but this difference did not reach a statistical significance (P value 0.055). In the 79 pregnancies after surgery, preterm birth and miscarriage were seen in 10 patients (12.7%), similarly, respectively after septal or fibroid resection. Miscarriages were less post-operatively. Hysteroscopic myomectomy, compared with hysteroscopic metroplasty, was significantly associated with higher spontaneous pregnancy rate (63.0% Vs 37.0%, P value 0.018), more term pregnancies (87.5% vs. 12.5%, P value 0.001) and less miscarriage rate (40%vs 60%, P value 0.003). Pregnancy post-operatively in patients with primary infertility was more statistically significantly associated with hysteroscopic myomectomy than with hysteroscopic septoplasty (95.8% vs. 4.2%, p value 0.030). In patients who got pregnant postoperatively there was no statistically significant difference in the mode of delivery. CONCLUSION: In carefully selected patients with unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriage, hysteroscopic myomectomy, compared with hysteroscopic metroplasty, was significantly associated with higher spontaneous pregnancy, more term pregnancies and less miscarriage rates. More than metroplasty, hysteroscopic myomectomy led to higher spontaneous pregnancies in patients with primary infertility. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05560295.

COVID-19-associated mental health impact on menstruation physiology: A survey study among medical students in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been an extraordinarily stressful situation in recent years. Stress is a physiological reaction to negative stimuli that is regulated by different neuroendocrine pathways. The female reproductive function is maintained by the menstrual cycle, which is negatively affected by hyperstimulation of stress signals. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak on menstrual function and mental health, exploring the relationship between them. DESIGN: The current study uses a cross-sectional, survey-based design. METHODS: During this cross-sectional study, an online self-completion questionnaire was conducted among a sample of 385 Jordanian female medical students during the pandemic. The survey compared menstrual characteristics, depression, anxiety, and stress 10 months after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic with 10 months prior. Paired t-test, McNemar's test, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression model were employed to analyze data using SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean age of female medical student respondents was 19.89 years. Data showed that the menstrual cycle length significantly increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic compared with 10 months prior (32.23 days versus 30.02 days, p = 0.019). The average number of heavy bleeding days also increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (2.82 days versus 2.42 days, p = 0.002). The proportion of females with heavy bleeding amount was more than doubled during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 compared with before (27.3% versus 10.4%, p = 0.000). Unpleasant menstrual signs such as nausea and/or vomiting, breast pain, and urinary urgency were significantly increased during the pandemic (p = 0.000, p = 0.008, and p = 0.024, respectively). During coronavirus disease 2019, a positive association between total Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Questionnaire score and heavy bleeding was identified (p < 0.05). The findings also indicated that mental disorders and the incidence of amenorrhea, nausea and/or vomiting, and urinary urgency were positively correlated during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The multiple regression analysis revealed associations between several menstrual characteristics such as amenorrhea and severity of bleeding with coronavirus disease 2019-related depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the stress related to the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 could affect the female menstrual cycle and hence the quality of women's life. Therefore, this study could serve as a baseline for planning and introducing stress mitigation interventions in crisis situations to improve the physiological and mental well-being of females and improve their quality of life.

Factors affecting the use of long term and permanent contraceptive methods: a Facebook-focused cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: In the Muslim world, the use and acceptance of long-term and permanent contraceptives were limited. Our aim was to investigate those limiting factors so we can help making these methods widely available and acceptable to the society. METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS: There were 1365 women from Facebook groups in the period 08/10/2020-8/11/2020. Participants were married women, living in Jordan. This was a cross-sectional study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 16, software was used for statistical analysis (Chicago, Illinois, USA). RESULTS: Among participants, 22.3% had never used any contraceptives. Non-hormonal IUCD was the most commonly used method. There was a statistically significant association between the use of hormonal IUCD and women's age, marriage duration, education and number of children (p < 0.0001). Tubal ligation was adopted by only 44 (3.22%) participants. 19.68% of participants declined tubal ligation merely due to religious issues. Women who completed only high school level of education underwent tubal ligation significantly more than those with university (Bachelor) and post-university (Master or PhD) degrees (p < 0.0001 and 0.026, respectively). Only 1.83% of women's partners underwent vasectomy, the majority of these vasectomies (72.0%) were done because of the need for lifelong contraception. Around 17% of women's partners had poor knowledge about vasectomy. Further, women's employment status (housewives or full-time employees) was found to be the only variable that affected acceptance of vasectomy (p = 0.0047). CONCLUSIONS: Women endured a heavy burden of contraception. Cultural and religious taboos influenced tubal ligation. Vasectomy was still very rarely adopted by men due to the lack of knowledge about the procedure. Our results raised the need for further dissemination of contraception knowledge and counselling through the primary care and maternity centers, mosques and media in official, comprehensive and integrated programs. Future research is needed in the field of permanent contraceptive methods.

The Influence of Lifestyle Variables on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common and often debilitating, gynaecological condition. Objective: To investigate the effects of specific lifestyle variables on the prevalence and severity of primary dysmenorrhea. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of Jordanian women aged between 18-25 years old utilized a questionnaire as the main instrument of the study. Results: Primary dysmenorrhea was reported by 660 women out of 1988. It was found that approximately two thirds of them were students. Overall, 54.5% of the participants reported severe dysmenorrhea. A statistically significant correlation was found between severe dysmenorrhea and smoking at p value ˂0.001, sleeping less than 7 hours per 24 hours at p = 0.005, holding a university degree at p = 0.032, non-alcohol consumption at p = 0.044, frequent energy, fizzy, tea, coffee drinks and sugar intake. Interestingly, we found that severe dysmenorrhea was statistically significantly associated with women who never eat meat at p ˂0.001, cereals and fish consumers and with those who take less than 3 servings of fruit or none at all per week at p = 0.006. In addition to the previous variables, water intake of less than 1.0 litre a day, irregular cycles, non-OCP use and positive family history were found significantly associated with severe dysmenorrhea. Severe dysmenorrhea was significantly related to working less hours per week, higher stress level and longer bleeding duration at p = 0.021, 0.017 and 0.008, respectively. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference found between severe dysmenorrhea and the following variables: age, body mass index (BMI), weekly studying hours and age of menarche. Conclusion: Primary dysmenorrhea is prevalent in the Jordanian population. To overcome severe dysmenorrhea, women should increase their intake of fish and fresh fruits, drinking water and use of oral contraceptive pills. The study concluded that smoking, frequent sugar intake, fizzy drinks, coffee, tea and energy drinks were associated with severe dysmenorrhea. It is also worth mentioning that alcohol consumption had a positive impact on dysmenorrhea. Trial Registration: Registered in Clinicaltrial.gov (ID: NCT04583943).

The challenge in diagnosing abdominal wall endometriosis; a series of three cases.

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is an understudied entity in which many women of childbearing age who have undergone pelvic obstetric surgeries suffer. In this series, we will present three cases of AWE and discuss the diagnostic challenge in this uncommon disease. PRESENTATION OF CASES: These case series describe the different presentations of the entity and the various methods of diagnosing them. Many other reviews have discussed the possible preventative methods to decrease the chances of developing abdominal wall endometrioma. DISCUSSION: Women of childbearing age, with a previous C-section or hysterectomy, who present with chronic abdominal pain and bulging related to their wound should raise the suspicion and further go an abdomen pelvic CT scan at the time of menstruation. Diagnosis of abdominal wall endometriomas is usually delayed, as symptoms are non-specific, cyclical, and slowly progressive. After imaging, the patient must undergo surgical excisional biopsy to have a definitive diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Abdominal wall endometriomas are only visualized on a CT scan during menstruation, increasing the challenge of diagnosing this entity significantly. To minimize the error in diagnosis, a raised suspicion of this pathology is the key to identifying this issue.

Impact of Pregnancy-Related Venous Thromboembolism on Quality of Patients' Lives.

Background: During pregnancy, the risk of venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) is increased at least five times compared with non-pregnant women of the same age, while the relative risk in the postpartum period can be as high as sixty times. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of pregnancy-related VTE on patients' mental, professional, social and personal life. Methods and Materials: Cross-sectional study at Jordan University Hospital's Obstetrics Department. Results: There were 112 women. Forty-six (41.1%) had a postpartum VTE. Twenty-eight of the patients (25%) had comorbidity. Eleven (9.9%) had a previous episode of VTE. Thirty-nine (35%) of the women reported three or more hospital visits over the past six months. Twenty-one (19.6%) of the women answered that their leg or chest pain has impeded their social activities. Anxiety/Depression was reported by 96.43% while Pain/Discomfort by 73.21%. A significant reduction of time spent on their work (correlation = 0.663, significant at <0.01) and accomplishing less work (correlation = 0.787, this was significant at <0.01) was found; 57.14% of patients indicated that VTE affecting their future pregnancies; 58.9% of patients were receiving anticoagulants with the most commonly used drug was aspirin. Twenty-four (36.4%) of the women were on multiple anticoagulant therapies. Twenty-five of the patients receiving medications do not monitor their medications and 20 patients said that monitoring the drug level was a bother to them. Conclusions: Pregnancy-related VTE had a significant adverse impact on physical, mental and professional life of women. It also had negative effects on future pregnancy plans.

Early Pregnancy Glycemic Levels in Non-Diabetic Women and Pregnancy Outcome: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal fasting blood sugar (FBS) variations within normal range and lower than that in diabetes mellitus (DM) may be associated with adverse feto-maternal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To find out if a rise of maternal FBS level above 80 but still below 120 mg/dL (group 2) has an influence on feto-maternal outcomes compared with a maternal FBS below 80 mg/dL (group 1). METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study. FBS was measured at the booking visit. Subjects whose FBS was measured before 20 weeks were categorized according to their FBS (>80 mg/dL or ≤80 mg/dL) and correlation between FBS levels in the two groups with several parameters were tested. RESULTS: Group 1 (130 healthy pregnant women) and group 2 (88 healthy pregnant women) did not show a statistical difference in age or BMI. More statistically significant cases were diagnosed with GDM in group 2 than in group 1 (39.8% vs 16.9%, P value 0.000). More cases that needed pharmacological intervention in the form of metformin or insulin or both were seen in group 2 than in group 1 (p value 0.007 and 0.061, respectively). More but not statistically significant polyhydramnios was seen more in group 2 than in group 1 (9.1% vs 3.1%, p value 0.056). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in relation to all other fetomaternal outcome parameters that were studied. CONCLUSION: Raised maternal fasting blood glucose level (80-120 mg/dL) in healthy primigravid women in early pregnancy was associated with significant diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus and need for pharmacological intervention. An association was found with polyhydramnios but this was not statistically significant. No influence was found on preterm birth, fetal weight, mode of delivery or APGAR score. More attention should be given to FBS levels early in pregnancy to reduce the risk for later complications.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students in Jordanian universities: A multi-center cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There are serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of medical education in its current format during serious crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To explore academic, financial, psychological, & hygienic impact on medical students. METHODS: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study of students at different medical schools in Jordan. It included both basic and clinical years. RESULTS: There were 415 responses. Females constituted 51.8%. Around 50% of the participants were from the 6th year (n = 194, 46.7%). University of Jordan students represented around 40% of the responders. 60% of the students have GPA (Grade Point Average) of less than 3 points. Nearly half of the students indicated that their academic grades were affected during the pandemic. Clinical years' students (51.0%) were more likely to be negatively affected than students in basic years (36.1%), P value 0.026. Sixty three percent reported that they sanitize their hands before touching eyes, nose, or mouth. More than two thirds (70.4%) of students indicated that their mental health was affected in the pandemic. Financial influence was a major aspect in around 53% of students and 34% of students were not able to pay the university fees due to the pandemic. The pandemic affected the elective training course location of 70.9% of respondents. Mental health was affected in 70.9% of students and 65.1% became more anxious or depressed with no significant difference among gender and academic years (P values 0.256 and 0.516, respectively). Students in the clinical years were more afraid of getting the infection than students in the basic years, however this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.084). CONCLUSIONS: Covid-19 Pandemic negatively affected the academic course of the medical students especially at the clinical training years' level across Jordanian universities. COVID-19 pandemic left a negative impact on psychological & mental health of the students, too, rendering them more anxious, depressed, and afraid of coming to the hospital and handling patients.

How prevalent are symptoms and risk factors of pelvic inflammatory disease in a sexually conservative population.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the inflammation of the adnexa of the uterus, that mainly manifests in a subclinical/chronic context and goes largely underreported. However, it poses a major threat to women's health, as it is responsible for infertility and ectopic pregnancies, as well as chronic pelvic pain. Previous studies in Jordan have not reported PID, attributed mainly to the social structure of the country which largely represents a sexually conservative population. Our study aims to report the clinical symptoms that point towards PID and investigate the major risk determinants for the Jordanian population, in a cross-sectional study, using our scoring system based only on clinical data and examination. METHODS: One hundred sixty-eight consecutive adult women that came in the Outpatient Clinics of Gynaecological Department of the Jordan University Hospital were interviewed and their medical history and symptoms were registered and analysed. A Score for PID symptoms, we developed, was given to each woman. Results and correlations were then statistically tested. RESULTS: Our study population consisted of relatively young women (37.7 ± 11) that had their first child at an average age of 24.1 (± 4.8) and a mean parity of 3.1 (± 2.2). Fifty-eight women (34.5%) reported having undergone at least one CS, while the mean PID Symptom Score was 3.3 (± 2.3). The women in our study exhibited 8 symptoms of PID, namely dysmenorrhea and vaginal discharge; being the commonest (45.2% and 44.6% respectively), in addition to chronic pelvic pain, pelvic heaviness, menorrhagia, dyspareunia, urinary symptoms, and smelly urine. They also reported history of 3 conditions that can be attributed to PID, that is infertility, preterm labour, and miscarriages. CONCLUSIONS: Our PID Scoring System seems to identify the risk factors of PID and predict well the PID likelihood. This score predicts that women with higher parity, who used contraceptives and underwent any invasive medical procedure are expected to score higher in the PID Symptom Score. Our data also suggest that PID should not be ruled out in the Jordanian population when symptoms are compatible to this diagnosis.

As a sexually conservative country, Jordan is thought to have a low prevalence of pelvic inflammatory disease. The prevalence of STD pathogens is very low, however many patients present symptoms of PID, so we randomly interviewed 168 healthy participants and investigated symptoms related to PID. Surprisingly the percentage of participants who had symptoms of PID was high, reaching up to 64% for some symptoms. We then created a PID symptom score; where every symptom gets one mark (1­11), and tested it for association against independent factors. As a result, it can be predicted that a woman with higher parity, who used contraceptives, and underwent E & C, D & C, HSG, or Hysteroscopy is expected to score higher in the PID Symptom Score.This result draws the attention to PID incidence in similar conservative communities, and therefore further research is needed to confirm the prevalence of PID and identify the causative factors.

Spectrum of uropathogens and their susceptibility to antimicrobials in pregnant women: a retrospective analysis of 5-year hospital data.

OBJECTIVE: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common during pregnancy. Identification of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of microorganisms in pregnant women is important to select the most appropriate antimicrobial. We assessed common uropathogens in pregnant women with UTI and antimicrobial susceptibility, to guide empirical antibiotic selection. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed mid-stream urine culture and antibiotic susceptibility data from pregnant women who attended Jordan University Hospital during 2014 to 2018. Data were collected from patients' charts and urine cultures, and sensitivity results were extracted from the laboratory electronic system. We calculated descriptive statistics and determined correlations among pathogens and antibiotics. RESULTS: We examined 612 positive urine cultures from 559 pregnant women, including 163 (29.2%) inpatients. Escherichia coli (29.4%) was the most frequently identified microorganism, followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (21.6%). All bacterial isolates were sensitive to aztreonam, chloramphenicol, fosfomycin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, piperacillin, and colistin sulfate; 87.5% were sensitive to amikacin. Only 15.79%, 18.93%, and 17.91% were sensitive to oxacillin, nalidixic acid, and erythromycin, respectively. CONCLUSION: E. coli and CoNS were the most commonly identified microorganisms in this study. We found increased antibiotic resistance in Enterobacter species. The chosen antimicrobial therapy in pregnancy should be determined by sensitivity/resistance and fetomaternal safety.

Anesthesia for Cesarean Section: Retrospective Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Cesarean section is a widely performed surgery. OBJECTIVE: To compare anesthetic types regarding feto-maternal outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective comparative study of 3599 cesarean sections (emergency and elective categories). RESULTS: Mean APGAR score was statistically higher in the spinal than general anesthesia among the emergency category, P = 0.000 and 0.026, respectively, with no significant difference in the elective category. Estimated blood loss among the elective category was statistically significantly higher in the spinal than general anesthesia, P = 0.001. However, among the emergency category, it was significantly higher in the general than in spinal or epidural anesthesia, P = 0.000. Diclofenac sodium was used more after spinal than general anesthesia (P = 0.000), with no significant difference between epidural and general or between epidural and spinal anesthesia. Pethidine hydrochloride (HCL) was used more after general than after spinal anesthesia (P = 0.000). However, pethidine HCL use was not statistically significantly different between spinal and epidural anesthesia. In the elective category, paracetamol was requested more after spinal than epidural or general anesthesia, P = 0.000. No significant difference was seen between epidural and general anesthesia, P = 1.000. No statistically significant difference was found among the anesthetic types in both categories regarding tramadol HCL. Length of hospital stay, operative time and neonatal intensive care unit admission were not statistically different between anesthetic modes. In the emergency category, significantly higher percentage of patients were satisfied with and would recommend epidural anesthesia. CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant difference among the three types of anesthesia regarding neonatal intensive care admission and length of hospital stay for emergency and elective categories. APGAR score was higher with spinal than with general anesthesia in the emergency category with no significant difference in the elective category. More diclofenac sodium and paracetamol and less opioids were used after regional than after general anesthesia. Satisfaction was higher with epidural anesthesia. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective and single centered.

Additive evidence of the competence of pregnancy-adapted YEARS algorithm in reducing the need for CTPA, Q and/or V/Q scintiscan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a pregnancy-adapted clinical and D-dimer-based algorithm, termed the "YEARS algorithm," can reduce the need for radiological imaging, including lung scintigraphy in pregnant women with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included all pregnant women with suspected PE between January 2014 and September 2019 who have undergone D-dimer testing and radiological imaging (computed tomography pulmonary angiography or lung perfusion scans) at presentation. Three criteria from the YEARS algorithm were assessed: clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis, haemoptysis, and whether PE was clinically considered as the most likely diagnosis. Patients who did not have to undergo imaging per the YEARS algorithm were defined as those with no YEARS criteria and a D-dimer of <1µg/mL (group 1) and those with 1-3 YEARS criteria and a D-dimer of <0.5µg/mL (group 2). Patients who had to undergo imaging were those with no YEARS criteria and a D-dimer ≥1µg/mL (group 3) and those with 1-3 YEARS criteria and a D-dimer ≥0.5µg/mL (group 4). Women with symptoms of deep-vein thrombosis had to undergo Doppler ultrasound: If positive, they were anticoagulated and excluded from this analysis, and if negative, they were evaluated further for the need of imaging based on other YEARS criteria and D-dimer level. RESULTS: Of 117 pregnant women with suspected PE analyzed according to the YEARS algorithm five had confirmed deep-vein thrombosis by Doppler ultrasound, were anticoagulated and excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 112 women (mean age; 30.4±5.7 years), 50 underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), 54 lung perfusion or ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan and eight both; PE was diagnosed in 7 (6.25%), two by CTPA, two by lung perfusion or V/Q scan and three by both. Thirty-three of the 112 women (29.5%) were in groups 1+2 and could, therefore, have avoided CTPA or lung perfusion scans per the YEARS algorithm. None of those 33 women had PE by CTPA or lung perfusion scans vs. 7/79 patients (8.9%) who required CTPA or lung perfusion scans per the YEARS algorithm. CONCLUSION: The pregnancy-adapted YEARS algorithm can safely rule out PE in about one-third of pregnant women with suspected PE without the need for radiological imaging.

Surgical adhesions among women undergoing laparoscopic gynecological surgery with or without adhesiolysis - prevalence, severity, and implications: retrospective cohort study at a University Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the prevalence of adhesions, severity, and their relation to the current clinical scenario and to the type of previous surgery. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective study of patients who already had different previous abdominopelvic surgery and subsequently underwent gynecological laparoscopic surgery for various indications. The patients' clinical and operative notes were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: There were 654 procedures performed. The most common indication for the laparoscopic surgery was secondary infertility 23.5%, followed by adnexal lesions 22.0% and primary infertility 19.6%. Intraoperative adhesions were found in 45.3%. Adhesions were deemed relevant to the clinical scenario in 21.3%. Patients who had a previous history of open (traditional) surgery were more likely to be found with adhesions in comparison with patients with history of laparoscopic surgery (odds ratio: 2.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.4-5.3, p = 0.0025). The presence of adhesions was found to be strongly associated with previous abdominopelvic surgery than non-abdominopelvic surgery (odds ratio: 4.3, p = 0.0078, 95% confidence interval: 1.5-12.5). The most common location of the adhesions was abdominal (36.1%), mixed abdominal and pelvic (35.1%), and pelvic adhesions (28.1%). Severe adhesions were found in 36.1%; 13.6% of converted laparoscopy to open surgery was due to adhesions. Cesarean sections were significantly associated with adhesions. Patients who had cesarean sections were more likely to have adhesions than those who had not (odds ratio: 5.7, 95% confidence interval: 3.8-8.6, p < 0.0001). Adhesiolysis was done without complications in 19.6% of patients with adhesions. CONCLUSION: Adhesions were prevalent in gynecological patients with previous abdominopelvic surgery. They were a significant contributor to the gynecological and reproductive issues. To minimize the risk of postoperative adhesions, laparoscopic approach should be encouraged instead of traditional surgery and rates of cesarean section should be reduced. Further high-quality studies are needed to establish conclusion and practical guidance toward the use of adhesion barriers.

The Impact of Spinal Anesthesia and Use of Oxytocin on Fluid Absorption in Patients Undergoing Operative Hysteroscopy: Results from a Prospective Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if combining intravenous oxytocin infusion and spinal anesthesia will reduce the amount of glycine absorption in patients undergoing operative hysteroscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective controlled study was conducted in premenopausal patients who had hysteroscopic surgery including endometrial resection, endometrial polypectomy, myomectomy resection and uterine septal resection. The effect of combined spinal anesthetic with oxytocin infusion on fluid deficit was studied. RESULTS: A total of 88 patients were studied. Sixty-two cases were done under general anesthesia (control group) and 26 cases were performed with spinal anesthesia and the use of oxytocin infusion (study group). There was a statistically significant less mean fluid deficit in the study group than control group in the endometrial polypectomy patients (220±36 mL vs 392±178 mL, respectively, P value 0.010, 95% C.I.: 163-276) and the myomectomy patients (308±66 mL vs 564±371 mL, respectively, P value 0.003, 95% C.I.: 239-378). In the endometrial resections, there was also a statistically significant less mean fluid deficit in the study than the control group (P value ˂ 0.001). Regarding septal resection, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean fluid deficit between the two groups (P value 0.833). CONCLUSION: Spinal anesthesia combined with intravenous oxytocin infusion in operative hysteroscopy results in a statistically significant reduction in the glycine fluid deficit than the general anesthesia. We also recommend studying the effects of this combination in operative hysteroscopy using bipolar devices with isotonic solutions.

H1N1 Infection in Pregnancy; A Retrospective Study of Feto-Maternal Outcome and Impact of the Timing of Antiviral Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: H1N1 infection carries an increased risk in pregnancy. Our aim was to study the feto-maternal outcome and the effect of early initiation of therapy. METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study. Confirmed infected cases were included. Maternal age, parity, gestational age at diagnosis, presenting symptoms, the time between presentation and starting therapy, ICU admission, and maternal and perinatal outcome were evaluated. RESULTS: Nineteen confirmed patients were included. Most patients are 31 years old or more. Multiparous patients were 73.68%, and 57.89% were in the third trimester. Most of our patients presented with cough, fever, and chills. Two patients were admitted to the ICU. One of them was a case of maternal mortality. 42.10% of patients were started on therapy only one day after the clinical onset of symptoms. 26.31% delivered before 37 completed weeks. 73.68% delivered beyond term. Around one third delivered vaginally. 45% of babies weighed more than 3 kg. Four babies weighed less than 2 kg. Ninety percent had APGAR scores more than 8 at 1 and 5 minutes after delivery. Twenty-five percent were admitted to the NICU with no neonatal mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: H1N1 influenza A infection in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Medical and public awareness, low threshold for testing suspected pregnant patients, very early initiation of antiviral therapy, and a multidisciplinary approach in our series decreased the overall adverse effects of this infection.

Post-Partum Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) in a Patient with known Idiopathic (Immune) Thrombocytopenic Purpura: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Incidences of immune thrombocytopenic purpura occur in 1 in every 1000-10,000 pregnancies accounting for 3% of all thrombocytopenic pregnancies. A pre-existing immune thrombocytopenic purpura is known to be a risk factor for developing thrombocytopenia during pregnancy. We present here the treatment regime and management of a patient with known immune thrombocytopenic purpura who developed postpartum thrombotic thrombocytopenia with atypical response to traditional therapy. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to immune thrombocytopenic purpura or thrombotic thrombocytopenia. Pregnancy or postpartum thrombotic thrombocytopenia accounts for 10-25% of all thrombotic thrombocytopenia. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report deals with the treatment regime and management of a patient with known immune thrombocytopenic purpura who developed postpartum thrombotic thrombocytopenia. A 30-year-old Middle Eastern woman, with a prior diagnosis of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura had remained off-the-treatment for many years. After primary unexplained infertility for 8 years, for which she underwent six failed trials of in vitro fertilization, she delivered a healthy baby through caesarean section. Two days post-surgery, she had persistent thrombocytopenia, ecchymoses, bruises, and hemolysis. Her blood film revealed leukoerythroblastic anemia. Her blood tests also revealed a very low level of haptoglobin, and low level of ADAMTS13. A diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenia was suspected. Plasma exchange therapy was started with partial response. We showed that rituximab in conjunction with mycophenolate mofetil following plasma exchange therapy was effective in controlling the low platelet count in our patient. CONCLUSIONS: Rituximab in conjunction with mycophenolate mofetil following plasma exchange therapy was effective in controlling the low platelet count in our patient. Only two doses of rituximab were sufficient to normalize our patient. We present here a case of safe and effective use of rituximab in pregnancy-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia.

Postpartum acute fatty liver of pregnancy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy can be a very dramatic clinical event with significant risk of mortality to healthy women. The pathogenesis is still unknown. It usually occurs in the third trimester or in the immediate postpartum period. The clinical presentation is very variable. Medical staff have to be very cautious even regarding a minor complaint of feeling unwell. Skin rash has not been reported as one of the initial presentations of acute fatty liver of pregnancy. It is best treated in a center with a multidisciplinary approach. Admission to the intensive care unit is recommended. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 20-year-old Middle Eastern Arabic woman who developed an acute fatty liver of pregnancy. She was not known to have any medical disease. She had had two previous uncomplicated deliveries. She developed acute fatty liver of pregnancy on the first day after an uncomplicated normal vaginal delivery of a healthy male newborn. She started to have nonitchy skin rash over her abdomen and upper limbs. Then she started to feel unwell. Twelve hours later, she developed epigastric and right upper quadrant abdominal pain, followed by jaundice, nausea, and vomiting. She developed recurrent hypoglycemic attacks, hemolytic anemia, coagulopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation of acute fatty liver of pregnancy is very variable and nonspecific. Skin rash can be a new presenting symptom of acute fatty liver of pregnancy. Immediate suspicion of the diagnosis, appropriate investigations, and urgent initiation of therapy in an intensive care unit and by a multidisciplinary team resulted in a good outcome with no adverse health consequences for our patient.

Is there a relationship between children's behaviour and food cravings during pregnancy?

OBJECTIVES: Food craving is a well-known phenomenon during pregnancy that is driven by nutritional requirements for optimal foetal development. This mechanism plays a vital role in ensuring normal prenatal and postnatal development. The goal of the present study is to assess whether cravings experienced during pregnancy are related to children's behaviour. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in the gynaecology outpatient unit of a local hospital on healthy non-pregnant women, with children aged between 18 months and 5 years. Eligible women completed a questionnaire regarding their child's behaviours and cravings experienced during their pregnancy. Chi-square tests were used to examine relationships between cravings and behaviour. RESULTS: A total of 336 women were included in the study (child mean age = 44.11 ± 15.65 months; 55.7% females). Food cravings were experienced by 83.1% (n = 304/366) of the participants. The most commonly reported food craving was for fruit (n = 112, 33.3%). Other cravings included salty crackers (n = 40, 10.9%), sweets (n = 35, 9.6%), meat (n = 32, 8.7%), and vegetables (n = 29, 7.9%). There was variation in frequency of the children's behavioural problems: always (more than 50% of the occasions), sometimes (10-50% of the occasions), and none. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses showed that most behavioural issues were not associated with cravings during pregnancy. Further investigation into how diet and foetal development may impact childhood behaviour is warranted.