Conceptional age, menstrual age, and ultrasound age: a second-trimester comparison of pregnancies of known conception date with pregnancies dated from the last menstrual period.

Ultrasound dating-curve analysis was performed for the biparietal diameter, mean head diameter, and mean trunk diameter in individual singletons, twins, and triplets from in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies and pregnancies with ultrasonographic determination of ovulation. Linear growth was found for all parameters prior to 28 weeks' conceptional age. No differences were observed among singletons, twins, or triplets. Using linear equations, no significant difference was found in systematic errors between pregnancies with a known date of conception and pregnancies dated from the last menstrual period (LMP). Pregnancies with reliable LMPs had only a slight and nonsignificant increase in random errors when compared with pregnancies from IVF. Current polynomial dating equations produced considerable systematic and random errors as well as errors related to fetal growth. Acceptable results were obtained with a new linear equation based on two examinations. We conclude that gestational age based on good menstrual records supported by a pelvic examination in the first trimester may be more reliable than even the best ultrasound method for dating.

A method to limit working hours and reduce sleep deprivation in an obstetrics and gynecology residency program.

We adopted a system in which a team of residents works at night and all other residents work during the day. This system allows us to limit resident work time to 75 hours a week. Residents never work more than 24 hours in a 36-hour period, and usually no more than 13 hours in a 24-hour period. All residents have 1 day off each week and at least one weekend in three off. We did not have to obtain additional residents or ancillary personnel, and residents have the same exposure to operative cases as they did under the old system. The system can work with as few as 12 residents. Sleep deprivation is reduced, resident morale is improved, and resident learning, as reflected by in-training examinations, appears to be enhanced.

Obstetrics and gynecology residencies: education in preventive and primary health care for women.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the Residency Review Committee program requirements for obstetrics and gynecology residencies, when properly followed, will result in residents being educated in preventive and primary ambulatory health care for women during their residency training program as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology. METHODS: The 60 requisite residency training competencies identified as essential to educate generalist physicians, and viewed by some educators as a benchmarking standard, each were evaluated to determine whether residents in obstetrics and gynecology are now being educated in each of these areas. The answer was considered affirmative if any of the following pertained: 1) the Residency Review Committee program requirements indicate that the competency "must" or "should" be taught, 2) the Residency Review Committee requests numerical verification related to the competency on the accreditation review application, or 3) by virtue of a specific rotation required by the Residency Review Committee it can be assumed that the resident will be educated in the competency. To make our assessment, we identified and listed the section of the Residency Review Committee for Obstetrics-Gynecology program requirements, which, when properly followed, would result in education in the particular competency. RESULTS: Fifty-seven of the 60 competencies were considered applicable to obstetrician-gynecologists (care of infants, care of children, and infant/child preventive care were not), and residents in obstetrics and gynecology were found to be educated in 54 (95%). CONCLUSION: During their residency training programs as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, residents are being educated to be able to be providers of preventive and ambulatory primary health care for women.

Ultrasonographic description of succenturiate placenta.

Postpartum hemorrhage may occur in cases of a retained succenturiate lobe. More catastrophic is rupture of the fetal vessels connecting the lobe to the placenta. A case is presented demonstrating the sonographic description of a large succenturiate lobe.

Outpatient laparoscopic sterilization with therapeutic abortion versus abortion alone.

Records of 108 patients undergoing combined vacuum aspiration and laparoscopic sterilization in an outpatient surgical program were reviewed and compared with those of 195 patients who underwent abortion only in the same outpatient program. Mean operating time for the combined procedure was 30 minutes; total mean hospitalization time was 5 hours and 7 minutes. Complication rates for the combined procedure and for abortion alone were 9.2 and 7.2 per cent, respectively. Subsequent hospitalization was necessary for 4.7 per cent of patients undergoing the combined procedure and 3.1 per cent of those having abortion only. Laparoscopic sterilization has been found to add no significant morbidity but has markedly reduced cost and hospitalization for the patient desiring permanent contraception following first trimester abortion.

Bacterial endocarditis in pregnancy.

Bacterial endocarditis in pregnancy is uncommon but serious. A case is presented of subacute bacterial endocarditis with severe aortic and mitral valvular insufficiency and with associated multiple systemic and cerebral emboli. Therapy consisted of cesarean section at 33 weeks' gestation followed by aortic and mitral valve replacement; there was no maternal or fetal mortality. The English literature on infective endocarditis complicating pregnancy is reviewed.

Value of serial sonography in the in utero detection of duodenal atresia.

Duodenal atresia can be fatal unless promptly diagnosed and treated surgically. Death occurs in the newborn secondary to emesis, aspiration, and electrolyte imbalance. Serial ultrasound scans were obtained for 2 patients, but duodenal atresia was not detected until 29 and 32 weeks' gestation, respectively. With prior knowledge of an infant with Down syndrome and duodenal atresia, management of fetal distress with subsequent operative delivery can be altered. Early prenatal diagnosis by ultrasonography and subsequent amniocentesis plays an important role in the antenatal and postpartum counseling and management of these patients and neonates.

An outpatient program for laparoscopic sterilization.

PIP: This is a report of a pilot program for laparoscopic sterilization with emphasis on surgical and anesthetic technics. In 1971 the program was developed at the North Carolina Memorial Hospital. Subjects were 129 private patients, mostly white, of middle income with 2 or more children, and from 19 to 47 years of age. Follow up of over 90% indicated high patient satisfaction. Complications were few but may occasionally require surgical management and the method should not be considered a minor procedure. At first patients were handled as inpatients for 1 day preceding surgery. Later an outpatient status was adopted. At an earlier visit a history is taken, instructions given by a nurse, the assigned physician (who may be a physician in training) reviews the history, performs a physical examination, and explains the operation to both the patient and her husband. Laboratory work is performed, operative permits are signed, and patients are asked at this time to agree to sterilization by laparotomy if the laparoscopic approach proves infeasible. On the morning of surgery suitable intravenous medication (Valium 5 mg), fentanyl, and atropine are given and followed by pure oxygen inhalation for 3-5 minutes. Pentothal followed by succinylcholine are given and the patient intubated. Anesthesia is maintained by succinylcholine drip and inhalation of nitrous oxide and oxygen. After surgical preparation with Betadine solution, a combination tenaculum-sound is placed in the cervical canal. Pneumoperitoneum is established with carbon dioxide gas through a Verres needle inserted through a small subumbilical incision. The laparoscopic trocar is introduced by enlarging the same incision. After inspection a second 6 mm trocar is inserted just about the tubes and biopsy forceps introduced. The tenaculum in the cervix is used to position the uterus and tubes. After cauterization tubes are divided with the biopsy forceps and a biopsy specimen obtained if possible without undue action on the tube. After inspection for bleeding or injury to other viscera, the instruments are withdrawn. The procedure can be completed in 15 minutes. After recovery from the anesthesia the patient is removed to the recovery area and then the holding area. After 2 or 3 hours she is seen by a physician and discharged if vital signs are stable. Oral and written instructions for her convalescence are given. Patients are requested to return in 2 weeks or to consult a physician in their home area. 30 patients required postoperative hospital admissions: 15 for non-medical reasons (i.e., distance to travel home) and 15 for observation at the physicians' request. These stayed 14 to 24 hours. Nausea and vomiting were indications in 5. :In one case nosebleed following intubation combined with slight elevation of temperature caused a stay of 48 hours. Retrospectively, only 8 of the 15 hospitalized or 6% of all cases required this extra service. In the initial series there was 1 technical failure due to obesity. The average time to resume normal activities was 3 1/2 days. 115 patients (97.4%) of those responding to a questionnaire stated they would recommend the procedure to a friend. The 3 dissatisfied respondents gave no specific reason. Thorough training of the physicians is urged. Use as an office procedure with local anesthesia is not recommended. Single-puncture technic is being tried. Subsequently over 100 additional procedures have been performed.^ieng

Spring clip tubal occlusion: a report of the first 400 cases.

Between September 1972 and March 1974, laparoscopic tubal sterilization was performed on 394 patients with the use of a spring-loaded plastic clip under local analgesia and on an outpatient basis. Intravenous fentanyl and infra-umbilical infiltration and tubal spray with 1% lidocaine were found to be very acceptable and effective forms of analgesia. The average time spent by a patient in the hospital was 4 hours, 26 minutes. There was no major immediate complications apart from vasovagal reactions in 34 patients. Up to June 30, 1974, six patients in the series had become pregnant, not as a failure of the clip per se, but as a result of improper application of the clips. This seems to be a safe, simple, and effective method of female sterilization with great potentials of reversibility.

Laparoscopic tubal clip sterilization under local anesthesia.

PIP: Tubal anesthesia with lidocaine during laparoscopic tubal clip appli cation was evaluated in 149 women; 147 tubes received no lidocaine and 151 received 1 or 2 ml of 1% or 4% lidocaine. For unanesthetized tubes the mean pain rating depended on the dose of diazepam and fentanyl given to the patient (p less than .1); pain ratings were higher in women who received no drug. When any diazepam and/or fentanyl was given, the anesthetized tubes were given a significantly lower pain rating (p less than .01). 23.8% of unanesthetized tubes received a pain rating of 2, 12.9% a rating of 3 or 4, while no anesthetized tube received a 3 or 4 (on a scale of 0 to 4) and only 4% received a 2. 68.5% patients were their own control; 42% rated the pain equal in each tube (1 was anesthetized), while 58% rated the anesthetized tube less painful. 3.4% of the patients experienced vasovagal reflex stimulation. It is concluded that using a local anesthetic solution substantially reduces discomfort associated with fallopian tube manipulation during sterilization.^ieng

Regional training program of laparoscopy: impact on regional care.

In response to large numbers of requests for laparoscopic sterilization, the University of North Carolina began a training program to provide this service on a regional basis throughout the state. This report reviews the final distribution of centers providing these services: one within 50 miles of every person in the state. The clinical experience of 30 private physicians (excluding experience of residency training programs) was reviewed and found to parallel the national experience in provision of services, in complications, and in pregnancies. The brief but intense training program (2 days at the University of North Carolina and one morning at the physician's hospital) was found to result in rates of complications and failures similar to national levels of performance. Should the demand for laparoscopic sterilization increase in the coming years, the region has sufficient numbers of safely trained physicians to respond.

Intraamniotic prostaglandin F2-alpha dose--twenty-four-hour abortifacient response.

PIP: Prostaglandin F2 alpha was administered intraamniotically to 132 mid-first trimester gravidas to determine the dose-24-hour abortifacient response relationship. Single doses between 15-50 mg and multiple doses between 15-25 mg were administered to 3 groups each, the latter regimen at 6-hour intervals. Trials were declared a failure if abortion did not occur within 24 hours. Results indicate that over 50% of patients can be aborted within 24 hours by a variety of unaugmented prostaglandin F-2 alpha dose schedules. Parity and gestational age were found to be important variables in the dose-response relationship. Doses in excess of 25 mg in multiparas - or - = 16 weeks gestation do not appear to increase the abortion rate, while single injections above 50 mg in nulliparas 16 weeks' gestation may improve the rate. In terms of multiple-injection schedules, doses greater than 15 mg initially, with an identical dose repeated 6 hours later, probably will not increase the 24-hour abortion rate in nulliparas - or - = 16 weeks' gestation; however, doses above 25 mg, repeated in 6 hours will not improve this rate in multiparas - or - = 16 weeks' gestation. The multiple-injection technique seems to be superior for women - or - = 16 weeks' gestation. The dose schedules investigated were not associated with any serious complications and thus can be used clinically. However, comparative series of different dose schedules are necessary to verify these findings. Larger sample sizes will permit specification of the relative importance of parity, gestational age, and other conditions in modifying the dose-response relationship.^ieng

The tricyclic trimipramine in the treatment of subjective tinnitus.

We examined 26 consecutive patients with subjective tinnitus. All subjects were treated with the tricyclic antidepressant trimipramine in a double-blind study, each subject acting as his own control. All subjects were evaluated with pure tone audiometry, site of lesion testing, and auditory brain stem evoked response. The tinnitus assessment consisted of frequency and intensity matching, the determination of masking levels, and a subjective evaluation of severity. Plasma levels of trimipramine were monitored at regular intervals, and the Zung and Millon inventories were administered at the beginning and end of each study period. Nineteen subjects completed the study. Within the trimipramine group, one reported complete disappearance of his tinnitus, eight reported improvement, three no change, and seven that tinnitus was worse. Within the placebo group, eight reported improvement, seven no change, and four that tinnitus was worse. The natural history of tinnitus is such that what has been observed may reflect the evolution of the disease itself, rather than the effect of treatment. We feel that while tricyclics may not have been shown to be effective, the placebo effect played a significant role in the results obtained.

Plasma fibronectin levels in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia: a preliminary report.

Fibronectin, a major component of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes throughout the body, is thought to maintain the integrity of both the reticulo-endothelial system and microvasculature. In this study, plasma fibronectin levels were assayed by nephelometry in nine pre-eclamptic gravid women, nine normotensive gravid women and ten non-gravid women. The mean plasma fibronectin level (+/-S.E.M.) in pre-eclamptic gravidas (1687 +/- 101 micrograms/ml) is significantly higher than that of either normotensive gravidae (1129 +/- 99 micrograms/ml) or non-gravid women (897 +/- 60 micrograms/ml). Although the mechanism for elevated levels of plasma fibronectin in patients with pre-eclampsia is not clear, it may serve as an early biochemical marker for this disorder.

Sterilization-attributable deaths in bangladesh.

From January 1, 1979, to March 31, 1980, 20 sterilization-attributable deaths were identified in Dacca and Rajshahi Divisions, Bangladesh. The leading cause of death from tubectomy was anesthesia overdose and from vasectomy, scrotal infection. Overall. The sterilization-attributable death-to-case rate was 21.3 deaths/100,000 procedures. The health impact of contraceptive sterilization is highly favorable: for each 100,000 tubectomies performed, the cost in lives (19) is offset by approximately 1015 maternal deaths averted.

PIP: Over the January 1, 1979 to March 31, 1980 period sterilization-attributable deaths were identified in Dacca and Rajshahi Divisions, Bangladesh. These deaths were identified primarily through government records of compensation to families of deceased sterilization patients. This list was augmented by deaths reported from clinics of the Bangladesh Association for Voluntary Sterilization, detected through a prospective study of sterilization in Bangladesh, and identified by interviews with government family planning officials. A sterilization-associated death was defined as the death of a patient from any cause occurring within 42 days of tubal ligation or vasectomy. Death-to-case rates for vasectomy and tubal ligation were calculated for each month with 95% confidence intervals based on the Poisson distribution. 31 sterilization-associated deaths were identified over the study period. 28 of these were sterilization attributable and 3 were not. The mean age of the 21 women was 30.6 years, and their mean parity was 4.8. The mean age of the 7 vasectomy patients was 37.0 years. Abdominal Pomeroy method of tubal ligation was the only female sterilization technique used. 2 temporal clusters of sterilization attributable deaths occurred during the study. The 1st was a cluster of 5 deaths from tubal ligation performed in June 1979. 3 of these operations took place on June 5, 1979 but in different facilities. 1 factor common to each of these operations was the unseasonably hot weather. The 2nd temporal cluster consisted of 3 deaths after vasectomy in July 1979. 2 men from the same village died from scrotal infections after vasectomy on July 19, 1979 by the same surgeon at a single clinic. A similar death occurred earlier the same month. Another patient of the same surgeon and clinic associated with the deaths after operation on July 19 died from scrotal infection in January 1980. 3 vasectomy deaths related to 1 surgeon in a single remote facility suggests a breach of sterile technique. This could not be confirmed as this clinic physician could not be interviewed. The death-to-case rate for all procedures combined was 21.3 deaths/100,000 procedures, with the rate for vasectomy 1.6 times higher than that for tubal ligation. Anesthesia overdosage was the leading cause of death attributed to tubal ligation with tetanus (24%), intraperitoneal hemorrhage (14%), and infection other than tetanus (5%) as other leading causes. 2 patients (10%) died from pulmonary embolism after tubal ligation; 1 (5%) died from each of the following: anaphylaxis from anti-tetanus serum, heat stroke, small bowel obstruction, and aspiration of vomitus. All 7 men died from scrotal infections after vasectomy. Improvement in anesthesia management and sterile technique can lower the death-to-case rate for contraceptive sterilization in 2 Divisions of Bangladesh.

Physiology and disease of the respiratory system in pregnancy. A review.

This review has attempted to describe the changes in respiratory physiology which occur during pregnancy and to use this knowledge to aid in the understanding of respiratory disease. Three forms of respiratory failure have been described and representative examples of each discussed.

Tubal healing following laparoscopic electrocoagulation.

PIP: 13 patients sterilized by laparoscopy with coagulation of the tubes with a Wolf bipolar coagulating forceps were studied to determine the differences between the effect of division and that of nondivision on tubal healing. Either the left or right tube was divided after coagulation and patients were scheduled for repeat laparoscopy at 6 weeks (1), 9 weeks (4), 12 weeks (4), and 20 weeks (4). Healing appeared to be incomplete 5 months after electrocoagulation. Final division and separation of the tubes does occur in most cases. In some patients contraction and adhesion formation occurs along with the healing process. It may occur with adequate tubal division.^ieng

American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists' 1985 membership survey.

The 1985 membership survey of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) revealed that the membership performed dramatically fewer laparoscopic sterilizations in 1985 than were reported in any previous AAGL survey. The distribution of laparoscopic sterilizations by method of tubal occlusion has changed, with the percentage of mechanical methods of occlusion showing a relative increase and the percentage of electrocoagulation procedures showing a relative decrease. Whereas bipolar coagulation without division continues to be the most popular technique, only 6% of respondents reported using unipolar coagulation. The data suggest that the relative likelihood of ectopic pregnancy after laparoscopic sterilization may be greater after coagulation methods than after mechanical ones. Members often used conservative surgical approaches to ectopic gestation, with 39% managed with salpingotomy and 7% managed with laparoscopy alone. The likelihood that sterilization reversal would be performed varied by method of occlusion, with reversal most likely to be performed (71%) after spring clip application.

A statewide, toll-free telephone service to improve obstetric care.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center began in 1993 to provide a statewide, toll-free telephone service for pregnancy counseling to primary care physicians. The service was available 24 hours each day, and responses were made by the on-call maternal-fetal medicine specialist. This report summarizes our first full year of operation. Inquiries came from 34 (63%) of the state's 54 counties having physicians who provide obstetric care. One hundred twenty-eight physicians made 523 inquiries (median 3, range 1-15). Information was sought about prenatal genetic disorders, risks from drugs, exposure to infection, environmental hazards, and active obstetric or medical complications. Funds from targeted ultrasounds, genetic amniocenteses, more detailed counselling, and maternal transfers provided support for this expanding educational resource.