Retrospective Cohort Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pregnancy Outcomes for Women Living With HIV in British Columbia.

BACKGROUND: For pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH), engagement in care is crucial to maternal health and reducing the risk of perinatal transmission. To date, there have been no studies in Canada examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant WLWH. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study assessing the impact of the pandemic on perinatal outcomes for pregnant WLWH using data from the Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program in British Columbia, Canada. We compared maternal characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and clinical indicators related to engagement with care between a prepandemic (January 2017-March 2020) and pandemic cohort (March 2020-December 2022). We investigated preterm birth rates with explanatory variables using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prepandemic cohort (n = 87) had a significantly (P < 0.05) lower gestational age at the first antenatal encounter (9.0 vs 11.8) and lower rates of preterm births compared with the pandemic cohort (n = 56; 15% vs 37%). Adjusted odds of preterm birth increased with the presence of substance use in pregnancy (aOR = 10.45, 95% confidence interval: 2.19 to 49.94) in WLWH. There were 2 cases of perinatal transmission of HIV in the pandemic cohort, whereas the prepandemic cohort had none. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic had pronounced effects on pregnant WLWH and their infants in British Columbia including higher rates of preterm birth and higher gestational age at the first antenatal encounter. The nonstatistically significant increase in perinatal transmission rates is of high clinical importance.

Penicillin de-labelling in vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: comparison of approaches, outcomes and future directions.

BACKGROUND: Inaccurate penicillin allergy labels lead to inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and harmful patient consequences. System-wide efforts are needed to remove incorrect penicillin allergy labels, but more health services research is required on how to best deliver these services. METHODS: Data was extracted from five hospitals in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from October 2018-May 2022. The primary outcomes of this study were to outline de-labelling protocol designs, identify the roles of various healthcare professionals in de-labelling protocols and identify rates of de-labelling penicillin allergies and associated adverse events at various institutions. Our secondary outcome was to describe de-labelling rates for special populations, including pediatric, obstetric and immunocompromised subpopulations. To achieve these outcomes, participating institutions provided their de-labelling protocol designs and data on program participants. Protocols were then compared to find common themes and differences. Furthermore, adverse events were reviewed and percentages of patients de-labelled at each institution and in total were calculated. RESULTS: Protocols demonstrated a high level of variability, including different methods of participant identification, risk-stratification and roles of providers. All protocols used oral and direct oral challenges, heavily involved pharmacists and had physician oversight. Despite the differences, of the 711 patients enrolled in all programs, 697 (98.0%) were de-labelled. There were 9 adverse events (1.3%) with oral challenges with mainly minor symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrates that de-labelling programs effectively and safely remove penicillin allergy labels, including pediatric, obstetric and immunocompromised patients. Consistent with current literature, most patients with a penicillin allergy label are not allergic. De-labelling programs could benefit from increasing clinician engagement by increasing accessibility of resources to providers, including guidance for de-labelling of special populations.

Maternal vaginal microbiome composition does not affect development of the infant gut microbiome in early life.

Birth mode has been implicated as a major factor influencing neonatal gut microbiome development, and it has been assumed that lack of exposure to the maternal vaginal microbiome is responsible for gut dysbiosis among caesarean-delivered infants. Consequently, practices to correct dysbiotic gut microbiomes, such as vaginal seeding, have arisen while the effect of the maternal vaginal microbiome on that of the infant gut remains unknown. We conducted a longitudinal, prospective cohort study of 621 Canadian pregnant women and their newborn infants and collected pre-delivery maternal vaginal swabs and infant stool samples at 10-days and 3-months of life. Using cpn60-based amplicon sequencing, we defined vaginal and stool microbiome profiles and evaluated the effect of maternal vaginal microbiome composition and various clinical variables on the development of the infant stool microbiome. Infant stool microbiomes showed significant differences in composition by delivery mode at 10-days postpartum; however, this effect could not be explained by maternal vaginal microbiome composition and was vastly reduced by 3 months. Vaginal microbiome clusters were distributed across infant stool clusters in proportion to their frequency in the overall maternal population, indicating independence of the two communities. Intrapartum antibiotic administration was identified as a confounder of infant stool microbiome differences and was associated with lower abundances of Escherichia coli, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bifidobacterium longum and Parabacteroides distasonis. Our findings demonstrate that maternal vaginal microbiome composition at delivery does not affect infant stool microbiome composition and development, suggesting that practices to amend infant stool microbiome composition focus factors other than maternal vaginal microbes.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy With Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes.

Importance: There are limited high-quality, population-level data about the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy using contemporaneous comparator cohorts. Objectives: To describe maternal and perinatal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and to assess variables associated with severe disease in the pregnant population. Design, Setting, and Participants: CANCOVID-Preg is an observational surveillance program for SARS-CoV-2-affected pregnancies in Canada. This analysis presents exploratory, population-level data from 6 Canadian provinces for the period of March 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021. A total of 6012 pregnant persons with a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test result at any time in pregnancy (primarily due to symptomatic presentation) were included and compared with 2 contemporaneous groups including age-matched female individuals with SARS-CoV-2 and unaffected pregnant persons from the pandemic time period. Exposure: SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Incident infections in pregnancy were reported to CANCOVID-Preg by participating provinces/territories. Main Outcomes and Measures: Maternal and perinatal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as risk factors for severe disease (ie, disease requiring hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit/critical care unit, and/or oxygen therapy). Results: Among 6012 pregnant individuals with SARS-CoV-2 in Canada (median age, 31 [IQR, 28-35] years), the greatest proportion of cases were diagnosed at 28 to 37 weeks' gestation (35.7%). Non-White individuals were disproportionately represented. Being pregnant was associated with a significantly increased risk of SARS-CoV-2-related hospitalization compared with SARS-CoV-2 cases among all women aged 20 to 49 years in the general population of Canada (7.75% vs 2.93%; relative risk, 2.65 [95% CI, 2.41-2.88]) as well as an increased risk of intensive care unit/critical care unit admission (2.01% vs 0.37%; relative risk, 5.46 [95% CI, 4.50-6.53]). Increasing age, preexisting hypertension, and greater gestational age at diagnosis were significantly associated with worse maternal outcomes. The risk of preterm birth was significantly elevated among SARS-CoV-2-affected pregnancies (11.05% vs 6.76%; relative risk, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.52-1.76]), even in cases of milder disease not requiring hospitalization, compared with unaffected pregnancies during the same time period. Conclusions and Relevance: In this exploratory surveillance study conducted in Canada from March 2020 to October 2021, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was significantly associated with increased risk of adverse maternal outcomes and preterm birth.

Menopausal hormone therapy for women living with HIV.

People living with HIV are ageing, and a growing number of women living with HIV are entering menopause. Women living with HIV commonly have bothersome vasomotor symptoms and onset of menopause at earlier ages; both factors go on to affect quality of life and systemic health. Vasomotor symptoms and early menopause are both indications for menopausal hormone therapy; however, current evidence suggests that this therapy is seldom offered to women living with HIV. Additionally, women living with HIV have several risks to bone health and are likely to benefit from the bone-strengthening effects of menopausal hormone therapy. We present an assessment of the benefits and risks of menopausal hormone therapy in the context of HIV care and propose a practical approach to its prescription. If considered in the appropriate clinical context with discussion of risks and benefits, menopausal hormone therapy might provide substantial benefits to symptomatic menopausal women living with HIV and improve health-related quality of life.

A practical clinical guide to counselling on and managing contraception, pre-conception planning, and menopause for women living with HIV.

Background: Women represent one quarter of the population living with HIV in Canada and are an increasingly important sector of the HIV community. While some women's health issues such as cervical cancer screening and management are well addressed in HIV management guidelines, others are not. These include sexual and reproductive health factors such as contraception, pre-conception planning, and menopause. Existing literature has shown that while women living with HIV in Canada receive good HIV care based on HIV care cascade indicators, their women's health and sexual and reproductive health care needs are not being met. Methods: In this article, we present a clinical guide for clinicians providing care for women living with HIV on three key women's health topics that are under-discussed during HIV care visits: (1) contraception, (2) pre-conception planning, and (3) menopause. Results: We have summarized the most pertinent clinical factors on each topic to support straightforward counselling and present important considerations in the context of HIV-related diseases and treatment. Finally, when relevant, we have provided practical stepwise approaches for addressing each of these women's health care topics when seeing a patient during a visit. Conclusions: It is important that HIV specialists stay well-versed in the complex clinical interactions between HIV treatment and management of women's health issues.

Historique: Les femmes forment le quart de la population qui vit avec le VIH au Canada et un segment croissant de la communauté du VIH. Certains problèmes de santé des femmes, comme le dépistage et la prise en charge du cancer du col de l'utérus, sont bien couverts dans les directives sur la prise en charge du VIH, mais d'autres non. Des facteurs liés à la santé sexuelle et reproductive, tels que la contraception, la planification avant la conception et la ménopause, en font partie. Les publications scientifiques ont démontré que les femmes qui vivent avec le VIH au Canada reçoivent de bons soins du VIH en fonction des indicateurs de soins du VIH ventilés en cascade, mais que leurs besoins en matière de santé des femmes, de santé sexuelle et de santé reproductive ne sont pas respectés. Méthodologie: Dans le présent article, les auteurs proposent un guide clinique à l'intention des cliniciens qui soignent des femmes atteintes du VIH, à l'égard de trois sujets en santé des femmes qui ne sont pas assez abordés pendant les rendez-vous sur les soins du VIH : 1) la contraception, 2) la planification avant la conception et 3) la ménopause. Résultats: Les auteurs ont résumé les facteurs cliniques les plus appropriés relatifs à chaque sujet pour favoriser un counseling franc et présentent des points de vue importants dans le contexte des maladies et des traitements liés au VIH. Enfin, lorsque c'est approprié, ils ont fourni une démarche pratique graduelle pour aborder chacun de ces sujets en santé des femmes lors d'un rendez-vous. Conclusions: Il est important que les spécialistes du VIH demeurent bien informés des interactions cliniques complexes entre le traitement du VIH et la prise en charge des problèmes de santé des femmes.

The association between antiretroviral therapy and early placental function: a cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the association of antiretroviral therapy (ART) type and duration of exposure with early placental function using biomarkers of aneuploidy screening.Study design: Three hundred thirty-eight pregnant women living with HIV were enrolled in two Canadian centers. Multiple linear regressions were performed adjusting for confounding factors (race, age, gestational age, body mass index, parity, smoking, and fetal sex).Results: Women receiving ART had significantly increased second trimester alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels (ß = 0.147, 95% CI = [0.067-0.227] for protease inhibitor-based ART and ß = 0.176, 95% CI = [0.080-0.272] for ART without protease inhibitor) compared to women who received no treatment. However, there was no significant association between ART type and the levels of free ß-human chorionic gonadotrophin (ß-hCG), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (first trimester), unconjugated estriol, total hCG, and inhibin A (second trimester). No significant association was shown between biomarker levels and duration of ART exposure.Conclusion: Early placental function does not appear to be significantly affected by ART, except for AFP.

Prioritizing Maternal Sepsis: National Adoption of an Obstetric Early Warning System to Prevent Morbidity and Mortality.

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Analyses have determined that delays in early recognition and prompt initiation of appropriate management are key contributing factors in maternal sepsis deaths. Recent cases of sepsis-related maternal morbidity and mortality across Canada have highlighted the urgent need for a national standardized approach to the detection and treatment of maternal sepsis. The SOGC has established a national multidisciplinary maternal sepsis task force to address this priority. The adoption of a national modified obstetric early warning system (MEOWS) is recommended as a key first step. This early warning scoring (EWS) system will facilitate early detection of maternal clinical deterioration and mandate timely escalation of care appropriate for the severity of illness. There is currently limited use of EWSs in Canada. Introducing a national EWS and a standardized maternal sepsis management guideline provides a tremendous opportunity to improve maternal care. A standardized approach will facilitate future evidence-based evaluation and refinement of the tool, and enable the reduction of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality from sepsis, as well as all causes duplicated.

Investigation of factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth in pregnant women living with HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors contributing to preterm birth (PTB), including cART use and clinical and social determinants of health, in women living with HIV (WLWH) from British Columbia, Canada. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort. METHODS: We investigated the effect of cART use and other clinical and demographic factors on spontaneous PTB (sPTB) rates (<37 weeks gestational age) among 631 singleton pregnancies between 1997 and 2018. Exposure to cART was modelled in comparison to no exposure, exposure in the first trimester, and between regimens. Differences in sPTB risk were estimated using time-dependent Cox's proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Overall, the sPTB rate was 16%. Cumulative cART use was associated with lower risk of PTB (Wald test P = 0.02; hazard ratio = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.96-0.99) and specific cART regimens were not associated with increased risk of sPTB. Exposure in the first trimester was not associated with sPTB and for each week of cART exposure, the risk of sPTB decreased by 2%. In a multivariable model, HIV viral load and substance use remained associated with risk of sPTB, but not cART exposure. CONCLUSION: The sPTB rate among pregnant WLWH was more than three times higher than in the general population. However, sPTB was not related specifically to use of cART; in fact, cART appeared to reduce the risk of sPTB. Uncontrolled HIV replication and substance use were associated with increased risk of sPTB among pregnant WLWH. This emphasizes the important role of prenatal care, access to cART, and smoking cessation and harm reduction to reduce the risk of sPTB in WLWH.

Cervical Cancer Screening in Immunocompromised Women.

In the context of changing recommendations for cervical cancer screening, differing recommendations in each province, and a lack of guidance for cervical screening of immunocompromised women, this article provides specific recommendations for cervical cancer screening of immunocompromised women in Canada.

No 378 - Placentophagie.

La consommation du placenta humain a récemment été mise en évidence. Toutefois, aucune donnée probante ne fait état des bienfaits qui seraient liés à cette pratique. De plus, elle peut nuire à la santé. Par conséquent, la SOGC ne recommande pas la pratique de la placentophagie.

No. 378-Placentophagy.

Consumption of human placenta has recently been highlighted; however, there is no evidence of benefit from its consumption. In addition, there is potential for harm. Therefore the SOGC does not recommend the practice of placentophagy.

No. 275-Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Gynaecologic Procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence and provide recommendations on antibiotic prophylaxis for gynaecologic procedures. OUTCOMES: Outcomes evaluated include need and effectiveness of antibiotics to prevent infections in gynaecologic procedures. EVIDENCE: Medline and The Cochrane Library were searched for articles published between January 1978 and January 2011 on the topic of antibiotic prophylaxis in gynaecologic procedures. Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized control trials/ controlled clinical trials, and observational studies. Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated in the guideline to June 2011. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of health technology assessment and health technology assessment-related agencies, clinical practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies. VALUES: The quality of evidence obtained was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care (Table 1). BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS: Guideline implementation should result in a reduction of cost and related harm of administering antibiotics when not required and a reduction of infection and related morbidities when antibiotics have demonstrated a proven benefit.

No. 247-Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Obstetric Procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence and provide recommendations on antibiotic prophylaxis for obstetrical procedures. OUTCOMES: Outcomes evaluated include need and effectiveness of antibiotics to prevent infections in obstetrical procedures. EVIDENCE: Published literature was retrieved through searches of Medline and The Cochrane Library on the topic of antibiotic prophylaxis in obstetrical procedures. Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials/controlled clinical trials, and observational studies. Searches were updated on a regular basis and articles published from January 1978 to June2009 were incorporated in the guideline. Current guidelines published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology were also incorporated. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of health technology assessment and health technology assessment-related agencies, clinical practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies. VALUES: The evidence obtained was reviewed and evaluated by the Infectious Diseases Committee of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada under the leadership of the principal authors, and recommendations were made according to guidelines developed by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Table 1). BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS: Implementation of this guideline should reduce the cost and harm resulting from the administration of antibiotics when they are not required and the harm resulting from failure to administer antibiotics when they would be beneficial. SUMMARY STATEMENTS: RECOMMENDATIONS.

No. 233-Antibiotic Therapy in Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence and provide recommendations on the use of antibiotics in preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM). OUTCOMES: Outcomes evaluated include the effect of antibiotic treatment on maternal infection, chorioamnionitis, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. EVIDENCE: Published literature was retrieved through searches of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library, using appropriate controlled vocabulary and key words (PPROM, infection, and antibiotics). Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized control trials/controlled clinical trials, and observational studies. There were no date or language restrictions. Searches were updated on a regular basis and new material incorporated in the guideline to July 2008. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of health technology assessment and health technology assessment-related agencies, clinical practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies. VALUES: The evidence obtained was reviewed and evaluated by the Infectious Diseases Committee of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) under the leadership of the principal authors, and recommendations were made according to guidelines developed by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS: Guideline implementation should assist the practitioner in developing an approach to the use of antibiotics in women with PPROM. Patients will benefit from appropriate management of this condition. VALIDATION: This guideline has been reviewed and approved by the Infectious Diseases Committee and the Maternal Fetal Medicine Committee of the SOGC, and approved by the Executive and Council of the SOGC. SPONSOR: The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.