Conservative management of complete fetal expulsion into the abdominal cavity after silent uterine rupture - case report.

BACKGROUND: Clinically silent uterine rupture with complete fetal expulsion into the abdominal cavity is an extremely rare complication. Diagnosis can be difficult and the risk to the mother and fetus is high. Conservative management has been described only in a few cases of partial expulsion of the fetus so far. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of 43-year-old tercigravida with a history of previous laparotomic myomectomy and subsequent cesarean section. The subsequent pregnancy was complicated by uterine wall loosening and rupture at the site of the previous uterine scar after myomectomy and complete fetal expulsion into the abdominal cavity. The diagnosis was made at 24 + 6 weeks of gestation. Considering the absence of clinical symptomatology and the good condition of the fetus, a conservative approach was chosen with intensive monitoring of the maternal and fetal conditions. The pregnancy ended by elective cesarean section and hysterectomy at 28 + 0 weeks of gestation. The postpartum course was uneventful and the newborn was discharged to home care 63 days after delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal expulsion into the abdominal cavity after silent uterine rupture of the scarred uterus may be accompanied by minimal symptomatology making early diagnosis difficult. This rare complication must be considered in the differential diagnosis in women after major uterine surgery. In selected cases and under conditions of intensive maternal and fetal monitoring, conservative management may be chosen to reduce the risks associated with prematurity.

Dynamics of Selected Serum Immunological Markers During Caesarean Section.

OBJECTIVES: The presented study aimed to describe the dynamics of the serum levels of the complement components C3, C4, and C1 inhibitor in women immediately before and after giving birth by caesarean section (CS). DESIGN AND SETTING: 57 pregnant women undergoing caesarean section were included in this prospective observational study. Blood samples were taken 30 minutes before CS and 30 minutes after the delivery. C3, C4, and C1 inhibitor levels were analysed and the functional C1 inhibitor test performed. Angiotensin-converting enzyme concentrations before delivery were also determined. RESULTS: Before delivery, C3 value was elevated above the reference limits for the healthy adult population in 39% of patients. Following birth, C3 median value dropped from 1.4 to 1.2 g/L. C1 inhibitor concentrations were also reduced - the median value of the C1 inhibitor before the birth was 222 mg/L, dropping to 198 mg/L after delivery. Even before the CS, C1 inhibitor concentrations were below reference range in 40% of patients, which increased to 56% after delivery; its activity however did not significantly change. In two patients with perioperative uterine hypotonia, notable complement activation was detected. ACE levels were below the normative values for adult population in 25% of patients. CONCLUSION: Concentrations of all analysed components significantly decreased after delivery, which was not associated with blood loss or amount of intravenous liquids. This highlights the necessity of proper reporting of the time point of blood sampling in any studies or case reports detailing the immunological condition of patients in the peripartal period.

Hemorrhagic shock and treatment of severe bleeding.

Hemorrhagic shock is a severe complication of conditions that are accompanied by massive bleeding and is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The authors summarize the recent knowledge in the pathophysiology of coagulopathy in the course of its development and some options in treatment strategy.

The influence of mode of anaesthesia for caesarean delivery on neonatal Apgar scores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: secondary analysis of the results of an international survey in 2015.

AIMS: The purpose of this international survey was to describe the impact of current practices and techniques of caesarean section on the neonatal Apgar score in the Czech Republic (CZE) and Slovakia (SVK). METHODS: All Czech and Slovak departments that provide obstetric anaesthesia were invited to participate in a one-month (November 2015) prospective study that monitored in details all peripartum anaesthetic practices, delivered by anaesthesiologists. Participating centers recorded all data on-line in the CLADE-IS database (Masaryk University, CZE). RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: We collected data of 10119 women who delivered 10226 newborns. A caesarean section was recorded in 25.1% of deliveries (CZE 23.2%; SVK 30%). General anaesthesia was used for caesarean section in 37.5% of the cases (CZE 40%, SVK 33%). There was no statistically significant difference in the Apgar score lower than 7 in the 1, 5 or 10 min in groups of general and regional anaesthesia for caesarean section, when only elective sections of in-term babies with birth weight over 2500 g were analyzed. We found no statistically significant differences in the Apgar score in newborns of women intubated for caesarean section in rocuronium (n=21; 2.2%) and suxamethonium (n=889; 93%). CONCLUSION: We found no difference in neonatal outcomes in groups of general and regional anaesthesia for caesarean section when only out-of-risk newborns were analyzed. The risk factors were identified as follows: an acute caesarean section, preterm babies, birth weight less than 2 500 g, born in perinatological center and multiple pregnancy - second baby. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT02380586) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02380586.

Low-Dose or High-Dose Rocuronium Reversed with Neostigmine or Sugammadex for Cesarean Delivery Anesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial of Time to Tracheal Intubation and Extubation.

BACKGROUND: Rocuronium for cesarean delivery under general anesthesia is an alternative to succinylcholine for rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia because of the availability of sugammadex for reversal of neuromuscular blockade. However, there are no large well-controlled studies in women undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. The aim of this noninferiority trial was to determine whether rocuronium and sugammadex confer benefit in time to tracheal intubation (primary outcome) and other neuromuscular blockade outcomes compared with succinylcholine, rocuronium, and neostigmine in women undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. METHODS: We aimed to enroll all women undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean delivery in the 2 participating university hospitals (Brno, Olomouc, Czech Republic) in this single-blinded, randomized, controlled study. Women were randomly assigned to the ROC group (muscle relaxation induced with rocuronium 1 mg/kg and reversed with sugammadex 2-4 mg/kg) or the SUX group (succinylcholine 1 mg/kg for induction, rocuronium 0.3 mg/kg for maintenance, and neostigmine 0.03 mg/kg for reversal of the neuromuscular blockade). The interval from the end of propofol administration to tracheal intubation was the primary end point with a noninferiority margin of 20 seconds. We recorded intubating conditions (modified Viby-Mogensen score), neonatal outcome (Apgar score <7; umbilical artery pH), anesthesia complications, and subjective patient complaints 24 hours after surgery. RESULTS: We enrolled 240 parturients. The mean time to tracheal intubation was 2.9 seconds longer in the ROC group (95% confidence interval, -5.3 to 11.2 seconds), noninferior compared with the SUX group. Absence of laryngoscopy resistance was greater in the ROC than in the SUX groups (ROC, 87.5%; SUX, 74.2%; P = 0.019), but there were no differences in vocal cord position (P = 0.45) or intubation response (P = 0.31) between groups. No statistically significant differences in incidence of anesthesia complications or in neonatal outcome were found (10-minute Apgar score <7, P = 0.07; umbilical artery pH, P = 0.43). The incidence of postpartum myalgia was greater in the SUX group (ROC 0%; SUX 6.7%; P = 0.007). The incidence of subjective complaints was lower in the ROC group (ROC, 21.4%; SUX, 37.5%; P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that rocuronium for rapid-sequence induction is noninferior for time to tracheal intubation and is accompanied by more frequent absence of laryngoscopy resistance and lower incidence of myalgia in comparison with succinylcholine for cesarean delivery under general anesthesia.

Anesthesia for cesarean delivery in the Czech Republic: a 2011 national survey.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this national survey was to determine current anesthesia practices for cesarean delivery in the Czech Republic. METHODS: In November 2011, we invited all departments of obstetric anesthesia in the Czech Republic to participate in a prospective study to monitor consecutive peripartum obstetric anesthesia procedures. Data were recorded online in the TrialDB database (Yale University, New Haven, CT). RESULTS: The response rate was 51% (49 of 97 departments); participating centers represented 60% of all births in the country during the study period. There were 1943 cases of peripartum anesthesia care, of which 1166 cases (60%) were anesthesia for cesarean delivery. Estimates were weighted based on population distribution of cesarean delivery among types of participating centers. Neuraxial anesthesia was used in 55.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.8%-58.5%); the distribution of anesthesia techniques differed among type of participating center. The rate of neuraxial anesthesia in university hospitals was 55.6% (95% CI, 51.5%-59.6%), 32.4% (95% CI, 26.4%-39.0%) in regional hospitals, and 60.7% (95% CI, 55.2%-66.0%) in local hospitals. The reasons for cesarean delivery under general anesthesia were emergency procedure (67%), refusal of neuraxial blockade by parturient (30%), failure of neuraxial anesthesia (6%), and preoperative administration of low-molecular-weight heparin (3%). Postcesarean analgesia was primarily provided by systemic opioid (66%) and nonopioid analgesics (61%), solely or in combination. Epidural postoperative analgesia was used in 14% of cases. Compared with national neuraxial anesthesia rate data published in the 1990s (6.7% in 1993), there has been an upward trend in the use of neuraxial anesthesia for cesarean delivery during the 21st century (40.5% in 2000) in the Czech Republic. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of neuraxial anesthesia use for cesarean delivery has increased in the Czech Republic in the last 2 decades. However, the current rate of general anesthesia is high compared with other Western countries.

[Recombinant activated factor VII in the treatment of life threatening post-partum haemorrhage; registry UniSeven in the Czech Republic]. / Rekombinantní aktivovaný faktor VII (rFVIIa) v lécbe závazného poporodního krvácení data z registru UniSeven v Ceské republice.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the data related to the treatment of 80 Czech patients with life threatening postpartum haemorrhage recorded in the clinical registry UniSeven during years 2004-2009. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational, multicentre study. SETTINGS: ICU and Obstetrics departments of University and Regional hospitals in Czech Republic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: UniSeven is an international academic project of Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, focused on recording of clinical data related to "off-label" use of rFVIIa (Novo Seven) in life threatening bleeding. Data of 80 case reports of post partum haemorrhage from the registry was analysed from the clinical (efficacy and safety) as well as laboratory aspects. RESULTS: In 97.5% of our patients the treatment with rFVIIa was able to control the bleeding. In 53 women (66.3%) only one dose of rFVIIa was sufficient to control the bleeding. The rest of the patient received two or more rFVIIa doses. First dose of rFVIIa given to patients who needed more than one dose was significantly lower (96.6 microg/kg) compared to patient succesfully treated with one dose only (110.6 microg/kg; p = 0.048). The mortality rate in our cohort of patients was 2.5%. We have not recorded any thrombembolic event as and adverse event related to the rFVIIa treatment. In 74.3% of patients where rFVIIa was administered before considering the hysterectomy, it was able to avoid hysterectomy what we consider to be a significant improvement of the patients' quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Our data were also considered during the work up of national guidelines for the treatment of life threatening post-partum haemorrhage in the Czech Republic.