Cerclage plus Adjuvant Vaginal Progesterone for Preterm Birth Prevention in Patients with a Short or Dilated Cervix without Prior Preterm Birth.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to determine if vaginal progesterone following cerclage for cervical length <10 mm or cervical dilation in patients without a history of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) decreased the risk of preterm birth at <34 weeks' gestation compared with cerclage alone. Secondary objectives were to determine if vaginal progesterone following cerclage (1) decreased the risk of preterm birth at <24, <28, and <37 weeks' gestation and (2) increased the latency period from cerclage placement to delivery compared with treatment with cerclage alone. STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study from 2015 to 2020 of singleton pregnancies, without prior sPTB, who had cerclage placement <24 weeks' gestation for cervical length <10 mm or cervical dilation. Exposure defined as cerclage plus vaginal progesterone postoperatively (dual therapy) and unexposed as cerclage alone (monotherapy), based on surgeon preference. RESULTS: We included 122 patients, 78 (64%) treated with dual therapy and 44 (36%) treated with monotherapy. In the crude analysis, dual therapy was associated with a lower risk of delivery at <28 weeks' gestation (13%) compared with monotherapy (34%; crude risk ratio: 0.38 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.19-0.75]). When adjusted for preoperative vaginal progesterone, results were attenuated (adjusted risk ratio: 0.45 [95% CI: 0.20-1.01]). In both the crude and adjusted analyses, the risk of sPTB was not statistically different at <24, <34 or <37 weeks' gestation. Dual therapy was associated with a greater pregnancy latency from cerclage to delivery (16.3 vs. 14.4 weeks; p = 0.04), and greater gestational age at delivery (37.3 vs. 35.8 weeks' gestation; p = 0.02) compared with monotherapy. CONCLUSION: While not statistically significant, the risk of sPTB was lower at all gestational ages studied in patients treated with dual therapy compared with monotherapy. Dual therapy was associated with longer pregnancy latency and greater gestational age at delivery compared with monotherapy. KEY POINTS: · Dual therapy did not decrease preterm birth risk compared with monotherapy.. · Dual therapy prolonged pregnancy compared with monotherapy.. · Dual therapy can be considered but further studies are needed..

The Effect of Preoperative Phenazopyridine on Urinary Retention Following Midurethral Sling.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative oral phenazopyridine on short-term voiding dysfunction in patients undergoing a retropubic midurethral sling. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in subjects undergoing a retropubic midurethral sling comparing those who received preoperative oral phenazopyridine with those who did not. We included all women who underwent a retropubic midurethral sling without concomitant procedures under general anesthesia at our institution. Slings were placed by either suprapubic or transvaginal approach, per surgeon's preference. Demographics and intraoperative data on preoperative dose of phenazopyridine and medications linked to voiding dysfunction were captured. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-four subjects were identified. Twenty-five subjects failed to meet inclusion and exclusion criteria and were excluded, and 149 subjects comprised the final groups. Eighty-two subjects (55.03%) received phenazopyridine, and 67 (44.97%) did not. Most subjects received a 200-mg dose (97.6%). Except for surgical approach, both groups receiving and not receiving phenazopyridine had similar demographic characteristics. Eighty-eight percent of the subjects who received phenazopyridine passed the voiding trial versus 73.1% (odds ratio, 2.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-7.17). After adjusting for medications, estimated blood loss, number of trocar passages, or bladder perforation, the patients receiving phenazopyridine were still more likely to pass the postoperative voiding trials compared with those who did not (odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-7.98). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the preoperative administration of phenazopyridine may improve postoperative voiding function after a retropubic midurethral sling. Additional prospective trials are needed to confirm this finding.

FGF-23 and PTH levels in patients with acute kidney injury: A cross-sectional case series study.

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), a novel regulator of mineral metabolism, is markedly elevated in chronic kidney disease and has been associated with poor long-term outcomes. However, whether FGF-23 has an analogous role in acute kidney injury is unknown. The goal of this study was to measure FGF-23 levels in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury to determine whether FGF-23 levels were elevated, as in chronic kidney disease. METHODS: Plasma FGF-23 and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured in 12 patients with acute kidney injury and 8 control subjects. RESULTS: FGF-23 levels were significantly higher in acute kidney injury cases than in critically ill subjects without acute kidney injury, with a median FGF-23 level of 1948 RU/mL (interquartile range (IQR), 437-4369) in cases compared with 252 RU/mL (IQR, 65-533) in controls (p = 0.01). No correlations were observed between FGF-23 and severity of acute kidney injury (defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria); among patients with acute kidney injury, FGF-23 levels were higher in nonsurvivors than survivors (median levels of 4446 RU/mL (IQR, 3455-5443) versus 544 RU/mL (IQR, 390-1948; p = 0.02). Severe hyperparathyroidism (defined as intact PTH >250 mg/dL) was present in 3 of 12 (25%) of the acute kidney injury subjects versus none of the subjects without acute kidney injury, although this result did not meet statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: We provide novel data that demonstrate that FGF-23 levels are elevated in acute kidney injury, suggesting that FGF-23 dysregulation occurs in acute kidney injury as well as chronic kidney disease. Further studies are needed to define the short- and long-term clinical effects of dysregulated mineral metabolism in acute kidney injury patients.