Cannulation via the external jugular vein--An alternative to conventional peripherally inserted central catheterisation for paediatric patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe a peripherally inserted central catheterisation (PICC) for paediatric patients with inaccessible access and a high risk of general anaesthesia (GA). METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study involving all paediatric inpatients who performed the PICC via an EJV approach without GA between September 2014 and September 2021 in a provincial key clinical speciality. RESULTS: A total of 290 EJV line placement attempts were performed, and 29 were excluded due to missing placement results, resulting in a sample size of 261. The anatomical localisation, punctures, and catheterisation success rates for this practice were 100%, 100%, and 90.04%, respectively. The placement success rate in children younger than one year was 93.75% (45/48). The median line duration of use was 19 days, with a median length of catheter insertion of 13 cm. The most common complications were catheter malposition (n = 20) and dislodgement (n = 7). CONCLUSION: The PICC via an EJV approach without GA is a feasible and safe practice with acceptable success and complication rates, and low costs. It might be an attractive alternative for obtaining central vascular access for paediatric patients.

Obstetric and perinatal outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection versus conventional in vitro fertilization in couples with nonsevere male infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is associated with improved outcomes compared with conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) for patients with nonsevere male factor infertility. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: University-affiliated reproductive endocrinology unit. PATIENT(S): Couples who received their first-cycle embryo transfer without severe oligoasthenozoospermia (OA) between January 2012 and December 2016 were included in this study. INTERVENTION(S): Six subgroup analyses were performed according to the proposed indications for the use of ICSI as follows: non-male factor infertility, advanced maternal age (≥38 years), unexplained infertility, low oocyte yield (≤6), mild OA, and moderate OA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Live birth rates and selected perinatal outcomes. RESULT(S): ICSI resulted in live birth rates similar to those achieved with IVF (41.68% vs. 44.31%). There were no significant differences in the incidences of gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertension disorder of pregnancy, placental previa, postpartum hemorrhage, cesarean delivery, fetal macrosomia, small for gestational age, large for gestational age, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and congenital anomalies between the two groups. Subgroup analyses showed that ICSI resulted in a lower rate of NICU admission in couples with moderate OA. CONCLUSION(S): Our results suggested that routine use of ICSI for all causes of infertility did not result in better pregnancy and perinatal outcomes compared with conventional IVF in the first cycle. ICSI might be associated with a lower risk of NICU admission when used in couples with moderate OA. Large prospective studies are required to validate our current findings.

Effect of pregravid obesity on perinatal outcomes in singleton pregnancies following in vitro fertilization and the weight-loss goals to reduce the risks of poor pregnancy outcomes: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed to determine whether pregravid obesity independently predicts increased risks of perinatal complications following in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the weight loss goals to reduce the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. POPULATION: All pregnancies after first the fresh IVF cycle from January 2014 to December 2016 in the Reproductive Center affiliated to Shandong University were reviewed. A total of 3,962 eligible singleton births were stratified into cohorts based on the body mass index (BMI) definitions of the Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adverse perinatal outcomes. RESULTS: Pregravid overweight and obesity were associated with increased risks of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including gestational hypertension (GH) and pre-eclampsia (PE), polyhydramnios, preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), placental abruption, preterm birth (PTB) <37 weeks, caesarean section (CS), fetal macrosomia, large for gestational age (LGA) >90th percentile, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and congenital anomalies as compared with the normal-weight group after adjustment of differences in age, parity, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). The increased risks of PPROM, NRDS and congenital anomalies were eliminated after adjustment of GDM development, whereas the increased risk of NRDS disappeared after adjustment of HDP. Placenta previa was not significantly different between the obese group and reference group (REF). Moreover, the rates of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), PTB<32 weeks, small for gestational age (SGA) >90th percentile and perinatal mortality were also not significantly different between above-mentioned two groups. For obese women, a 10%-15% reduction in prepregnancy BMI was associated with significantly decreased risks of GH, CS and fetal macrosomia. For overweight women, just a 5% reduction in BMI could significantly reduce the risks of GDM, CS and fetal macrosomia. CONCLUSIONS: Pregravid obesity could independently predict a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after adjustment of differences in maternal age, parity, PCOS, and type of COH in IVF pregnancies. The potential mechanism that obesity potentiated the risks of some poor perinantal outcomes might occur through the development of GDM and HDP. A 10%-15% reduction in pregravid BMI for obese women and a 5% reduction for overweight women were associated with a significant reduction of poor perinatal complications.

Effect of type 3 intramural fibroids on in vitro fertilization-intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of type 3 intramural fibroids on in vitro fertilization-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: University-based reproductive medicine center. PATIENT(S): All women undergoing IVF-ICSI from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2016, in our unit. INTERVENTION(S): Each woman was matched with three separate control subjects of the same age (±1 year), number of cycles, type of infertility (primary or secondary), type of protocol used for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH), and no uterine fibroids identified by transvaginal ultrasound. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Implantation, clinical pregnancy, clinical miscarriage, and live birth rates. RESULT(S): We included 151 patients with type 3 intramural fibroids and 453 matched control subjects who underwent IVF-ICSI. The rate of "other protocol" used in COH was significantly higher in women with type 3 fibroids than in the control subjects (P<.001). The experimental group had a significantly lower implantation rate. Type 3 fibroids also resulted in a lower frequency of live births and clinical pregnancy. There was no significant difference between the groups in the rate of clinical miscarriage. Compared with the corresponding control subjects, patients with type 3 fibroids with a single fibroid diameter (SD) or total reported fibroid diameter (TD) >2.0 cm also had significantly lower rates of live birth, clinical pregnancy, and implantation. Type 3 fibroids with SD or TD ≤2.0 cm had no significant difference in IVF-ICSI outcomes compared with corresponding control subjects. CONCLUSION(S): Our results suggest that type 3 fibroids exert a negative impact on the rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth in patients undergoing IVF-ICSI, but do not significantly increase the clinical miscarriage rate. The deleterious impact of type 3 fibroids was remarkable in women with type 3 fibroids with TD or SD >2.0 cm.