Systematic review of shorter versus longer duration of bladder catheterization after surgical repair of urinary obstetric fistula.

BACKGROUND: Bladder catheterization duration after urinary obstetric fistula surgery varies widely. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of bladder catheterization duration after urinary obstetric fistula surgery. SEARCH STRATEGY: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, GIM, and POPLINE databases were searched, without language restrictions, using "obstetric urinary fistula" and "catheterization" from inception to September 30, 2017. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials comparing shorter versus longer (>10 days) bladder catheterization after urinary obstetric fistula repair were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted and meta-analyses were conducted. The GRADE system was used to assess evidence quality. MAIN RESULTS: Two unblinded non-inferiority trials (684 patients combined) were included. There were no differences between shorter and longer bladder catheterization in the risk of fistula repair breakdown either before (relative risk [RR] 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-2.64) or after (RR 1.64; 95% CI 0.81-3.31) hospital discharge. Similarly, urinary infection (RR 5.18; 95% CI 0.25-107.44); urinary incontinence before (RR 1.15; 95% CI 0.54-2.43) or after (RR 1.16; 95% CI 0.62-2.18) discharge; urinary retention (RR 1.34; 95% CI 0.79-2.27); or extended hospital stay (RR 9.33; 95% CI 0.51-172.41) were not associated with duration of catheterization. Evidence quality was low or moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Shorter, compared to longer, bladder catheterization duration after urinary obstetric fistula surgery was not associated with significant outcome differences.

Mild gestational diabetes: towards a redefined threshold?

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the most common medical complication of pregnancy, is defined as carbohydrate intolerance resulting in hyperglycemia of variable severity with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. In reality, gestational diabetes mellitus is a spectrum of maternal hyperglycemia caused or exacerbated by pregnancy, in which blood glucose levels lie along a continuum, associated with a wide spectrum of metabolic abnormalities and conferring varying degrees of pregnancy-related risk. In recent years, the WHO diagnostic thresholds in current use have been called into question, as increasing evidence mounts that 'mild gestational diabetes' confers increased maternal and fetal risk, despite glucose levels falling below current thresholds. This review summarizes the existing evidence, unanswered questions and health service implications related to women with so-called 'mild' gestational diabetes.