Pregnancy-associated mortality in Taiwan, 2004-2011.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy-associated death is defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as "a death of a woman while pregnant or within 1 year of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death." We sought to determine pregnancy-associated mortality ratio (PAMR) in Taiwan and to compare the cause of death pattern with other countries to assess the national health status of Taiwanese women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We linked four nationwide population-based data sets (birth registration, birth notification, National Health Insurance claims, and cause of death mortality) from 2004 to 2011 to identify women aged 15-49 years that died from pregnancy-associated deaths. We then calculated the PAMR and cause of death distribution by maternal age. RESULTS: A total of 559 pregnancy-associated deaths were identified with an overall PAMR of 36 (deaths per 100,000 live births). The J-shaped age-specific PAMR mortality pattern was noted, in which the PAMR was 32, 25, 24, 36, 71, 143, and 369 for women aged 15-19 years, 20-24 years, 25-29 years, 30-34 years, 35-39 years, 40-44 years, and 45-49 years, respectively. The age-standardized PAMR decreased drastically from 45 in 2004-2005 to 36 in 2006-2007 and 30 in 2008-2009, but leveled off to 33 in 2010-2011. The proportion of indirect causes increased from 2004-2007 to 2008-2011 among women aged 15-29 years and 35-49 years. CONCLUSION: Compared with previous studies, the PAMR of Taiwan is moderate. However, the proportion of external causes of pregnancy-associated deaths in Taiwan is the lowest compared with other regions. Further studies (such as death review) are needed to explore possible preventable factors.

Underreporting of maternal mortality in Taiwan: A data linkage study.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the extent to which maternal mortality in Taiwan is underreported in officially published mortality statistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used National Health Insurance claims data collected from two million samples, which were linked with the officially published mortality data, to identify women aged 15-49 years, who were admitted to a hospital with pregnancy-related diagnoses during 2000-2009 and died during the pregnancy or within 42 days after the termination of pregnancy. RESULTS: Based on these linked data, we identified 26 maternal deaths, only nine of which were reported in the original officially published mortality data; thus, the rate of underreporting was 65% [(26 - 9)/26]. The revised maternal mortality ratio was 14.1 deaths per 100,000 live births (95% confidence interval: 8.7-19.5), which was approximately three times higher than the official reported ratio of 4.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.7-8.1). The most common cause of maternal deaths was amniotic fluid embolism (n = 10), followed by eclampsia and preeclampsia (n = 4). CONCLUSION: Approximately two-thirds of the maternal deaths in Taiwan were unreported in the officially published mortality data. Hence, routine nationwide data linkage is essential to monitor maternal mortality in Taiwan accurately.

Maternal Mortality in Taiwan: A Nationwide Data Linkage Study.

BACKGROUND: To examine the changes in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and causes of maternal death in Taiwan based on nationwide linked data sets. METHODS: We linked four population-based data sets (birth registration, birth notification, National Health Insurance inpatient claims, and cause of death mortality data) to identify maternal deaths for 2004-2011. Subsequently, we calculated the MMR (deaths per 100,000 live births) and the proportion of direct and indirect causes of maternal death by maternal age and year. FINDINGS: Based on the linked data sets, we identified 236 maternal death cases, of which only 102 were reported in officially published mortality data, with an underreporting rate of 57% [(236-102) × 100 / 236]. The age-adjusted MMR was 18.4 in 2004-2005 and decreased to 12.5 in 2008-2009; however, the MMR leveled off at 12.6 in 2010-2011. The MMR increased from 5.2 in 2008-2009 to 7.1 in 2010-2011 for patients aged 15-29 years. Women aged 15-29 years had relatively lower proportion in dying from direct causes (amniotic fluid embolism and obstetric hemorrhage) compared with their counterpart older women. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately two-thirds of maternal deaths were not reported in officially published mortality data. Routine surveillance of maternal mortality by using enhanced methods is necessary to monitor the health status of reproductive-age women. Furthermore, a comprehensive maternal death review is necessary to explore the preventability of these maternal deaths.

Characterization of imidazoline receptors in blood vessels for the development of antihypertensive agents.

It has been indicated that activation of peripheral imidazoline I2-receptor (I-2R) may reduce the blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Also, guanidinium derivatives show the ability to activate imidazoline receptors. Thus, it is of special interest to characterize the I-2R using guanidinium derivatives in blood vessels for development of antihypertensive agent(s). Six guanidinium derivatives including agmatine, amiloride, aminoguanidine, allantoin, canavanine, and metformin were applied in this study. Western blot analysis was used for detecting the expression of imidazoline receptor in tissues of Wistar rats. The isometric tension of aortic rings isolated from male rats was also estimated. The expression of imidazoline receptor on rat aorta was identified. However, guanidinium derivatives for detection of aortic relaxation were not observed except agmatine and amiloride which induced a marked relaxation in isolated aortic rings precontracted with phenylephrine or KCl. Both relaxations induced by agmatine and amiloride were attenuated by glibenclamide at concentration enough to block ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. Meanwhile, only agmatine-induced relaxation was abolished by BU224, a selective antagonist of imidazoline I2-receptors. Taken together, we suggest that agmatine can induce vascular relaxation through activation of peripheral imidazoline I2-receptor to open KATP channels. Thus, agmatine-like compound has the potential to develop as a new therapeutic agent for hypertension in the future.

Antihypertensive action of allantoin in animals.

The agonists of imidazoline I-1 receptors (I-1R) are widely used to lower blood pressure. It has been indicated that guanidinium derivatives show an ability to activate imidazoline receptors. Also, allantoin has a chemical stricture similar to guanidinium derivatives. Thus, it is of special interest to characterize the effect of allantoin on I-1R. In conscious male spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs), mean blood pressure (MBP) was recorded using the tail-cuff method. Furthermore, the hemodynamic analyses in catheterized rats were applied to measure the actions of allantoin in vivo. Allantoin decreased blood pressures in SHRs at 30 minutes, as the most effective time. Also, this antihypertensive action was shown in a dose-dependent manner from SHRs treated with allantoin. Moreover, in anesthetized rats, allantoin inhibited cardiac contractility and heart rate as showing in hemodynamic dP/dt max significantly. Also, the peripheral blood flow was markedly increased by allantoin. Both actions were diminished by efaroxan at the dose sufficient to block I-1R. Thus, we suggest that allantoin, as I-1R agonist, has the potential to develop as a new therapeutic agent for hypertension in the future.

Laparoscopic repair of delayed-onset ureter injury.

Ureter injury is typically a rare complication, albeit with serious sequelae, of a hysterectomy procedure, especially after laparoscopic hysterectomy. Herein we report on a successful laparoscopic reanastomosis of the ureter conducted at the ureterovesical junction.

A randomized comparison of vesicourethral function after laparoscopic hysterectomy with and without vaginal cuff suspension.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare vesicourethral function following laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) with and without vaginal cuff suspension. DESIGN: Prospective study (Canadian Task Force classification I). SETTING: Tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-eight women scheduled for LH randomly assigned to either LH without vaginal cuff suspension (LH group; n = 36) or LH with suspension (LHS group; n = 32). INTERVENTION: All subjects received urinalysis, pelvic examination, Q-tip test, introital ultrasonography, and a urinary questionnaire before and 6 months after surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) decreased significantly from 46.9% (n = 15) preoperatively to 18.8% (n = 6) postoperatively in the LHS group (p = .022), but this was not so in the LH group. Similarly, the mean straining urethral angle and the number of women exhibiting bladder neck (BN) hypermobility significantly decreased after surgery in only the LHS group (p <.05; p <.01, respectively). During straining, the postoperative position of the BN localized more dorsally (p <.01), and its ventral mobility decreased significantly (p <.01) in the LH group. In the LHS group, significant postoperative reduction was found in both ventral and caudal movements of the BN during stress (p <.01), causing a more cranial and dorsal position of the BN (p <.01). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic hysterectomy with cuff suspension strengthens the traction effect on the endopelvic fascia, reducing both BN mobility during stress and the chance of SUI. However, simply performing a cuff suspension is not adequate for the treatment of severe SUI.

Regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in glioma cells by lead and lipopolysaccharide: involvement of common signaling pathway.

Both lead (Pb) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) damage nervous system, partly, by the induction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in glia origin. In this study, we examined the Pb- and LPS-triggered signal leading to TNF-alpha expression in a glioma cell line, U-373MG. Both Pb and LPS increased the phosphorylation of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which depended on the activation of MAPK kinase (MEK) and protein kinase C (PKC). Selective p42/44 MAPK inhibitor could reduce the Pb- and LPS-triggered TNF-alpha expression in U-373MG cells. Suppressing PKC by chelerythrine chloride completely diminished the Pb- and LPS-induced TNF-alpha expression in glial cells in the mouse brain. Thus, our results indicated that PKC-MEK-p42/44 MAPK is a common signaling pathway for Pb- and LPS-induced TNF-alpha expression in glial cells.

Urodynamic comparison of continent and incontinent women with severe uterovaginal prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and urodynamic characteristics of continent and incontinent women with severe uterovaginal prolapse. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-eight consecutive women with stage III or IV pelvic organ prolapse between June 1998 and December 2001 were enrolled. Each woman had a urinalysis, pelvic examination and urodynamic study and answered a urinary questionnaire. They were divided into clinically continent (n = 20) and incontinent (n = 38) groups. The clinical symptoms and urodynamic results in the 2 groups were compared statistically with the chi 2 test, Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Incontinent women with severe genital prolapse were more likely to report urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia than were continent women (P < .05). However, the incidence of voiding hesitancy was significantly higher for members of the continent group as compared to the incontinent group (P = .002). With respect to urodynamic variables, including detrusor pressure at peak flow, maximal urethral closure pressure and pressure transmission ratio, significantly higher values occurred in the continent group as compared with the incontinent group; they were 38 (range, 12-66) vs. 24 cm H2O (range, 10-49) (P < .01), 84 (range, 39-117) vs. 63 cm H2O (range, 45-84) (P = .033) and 102% (range, 66-135) vs. 66% (range, 14-98) (P = .019), respectively. All other parameters and the incidence of bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor instability did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that severe uterovaginal prolapse could produce obstructive symptoms and prevent or reduce urinary leakage, but whether urethral kinking or external urethral compression causes the obstruction remains unclear. More studies on different types of isolated pelvic organ prolapse are needed to elucidate the mechanism, and specific strategies can be developed to aid urogynecologists in their goal of restoring normal anatomy.

Effect of laparoscopic hysterectomy on bladder neck and urinary symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) on the mobility and position of bladder neck (BN) and urinary symptoms. DESIGN: We assessed the BN and urinary symptoms of 151 patients by introital ultrasonography and questionnaires before and after LH. SAMPLE: One hundred and fifty-one women who underwent LH from June 1999 to June 2001. RESULTS: A significant decrease was noted in the number of women exhibiting one or more urinary symptoms from 81 (53.6%) preoperatively to 58 (38.4%) postoperatively (P < 0.01). The incidence of urinary frequency, mild stress incontinence and nocturia decreased significantly after laparoscopic hysterectomy (P < 0.01). Changes in other urinary symptoms following hysterectomy showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05). During straining, the postoperative position of the BN localised more dorsally (P < 0.01) and the ventral mobility of the BN decreased significantly following surgery (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the location of the BN with respect to the pubis at rest and during straining, in the cephalocaudal direction, before and after hysterectomy (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Some patients experienced a substantial improvement of preoperative urinary symptoms following LH, partly as a result of a decrease in the hypermobility of BN.