ChatGPT outscored human candidates in a virtual objective structured clinical examination in obstetrics and gynecology.

BACKGROUND: Natural language processing is a form of artificial intelligence that allows human users to interface with a machine without using complex codes. The ability of natural language processing systems, such as ChatGPT, to successfully engage with healthcare systems requiring fluid reasoning, specialist data interpretation, and empathetic communication in an unfamiliar and evolving environment is poorly studied. This study investigated whether the ChatGPT interface could engage with and complete a mock objective structured clinical examination simulating assessment for membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether ChatGPT, without additional training, would achieve a score at least equivalent to that achieved by human candidates who sat for virtual objective structured clinical examinations in Singapore. STUDY DESIGN: This study was conducted in 2 phases. In the first phase, a total of 7 structured discussion questions were selected from 2 historical cohorts (cohorts A and B) of objective structured clinical examination questions. ChatGPT was examined using these questions and responses recorded in a script. Of note, 2 human candidates (acting as anonymizers) were examined on the same questions using videoconferencing, and their responses were transcribed verbatim into written scripts. The 3 sets of response scripts were mixed, and each set was allocated to 1 of 3 human actors. In the second phase, actors were used to presenting these scripts to examiners in response to the same examination questions. These responses were blind scored by 14 qualified examiners. ChatGPT scores were unblinded and compared with historical human candidate performance scores. RESULTS: The average score given to ChatGPT by 14 examiners was 77.2%. The average historical human score (n=26 candidates) was 73.7 %. ChatGPT demonstrated sizable performance improvements over the average human candidate in several subject domains. The median time taken for ChatGPT to complete each station was 2.54 minutes, well before the 10 minutes allowed. CONCLUSION: ChatGPT generated factually accurate and contextually relevant structured discussion answers to complex and evolving clinical questions based on unfamiliar settings within a very short period. ChatGPT outperformed human candidates in several knowledge areas. Not all examiners were able to discern between human and ChatGPT responses. Our data highlight the emergent ability of natural language processing models to demonstrate fluid reasoning in unfamiliar environments and successfully compete with human candidates that have undergone extensive specialist training.

Monkeypox in pregnancy: virology, clinical presentation, and obstetric management.

The 2022 monkeypox outbreak, caused by the zoonotic monkeypox virus, has spread across 6 World Health Organization regions (the Americas, Africa, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and South-East Asia) and was declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022. The global situation is especially concerning given the atypically high rate of person-to-person transmission, which suggests viral evolution to an established human pathogen. Pregnant women are at heightened risk of vertical transmission of the monkeypox virus because of immune vulnerability and natural depletion of population immunity to smallpox among reproductive-age women, and because orthopoxviral cell entry mechanisms can overcome the typically viral-resistant syncytiotrophoblast barrier within the placenta. Data on pregnancy outcomes following monkeypox infection are scarce but include reports of miscarriage, intrauterine demise, preterm birth, and congenital infection. This article forecasts the issues that maternity units might face and proposes guidelines to protect the health of pregnant women and fetuses exposed to the monkeypox virus. We review the pathophysiology and clinical features of monkeypox infection and discuss the obstetrical implications of the unusually high prevalence of anogenital lesions. We describe the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction tests from mucocutaneous and oropharyngeal sites to confirm infection, and share an algorithm for the antenatal management of pregnant women with monkeypox virus exposure. On the basis of the best available knowledge from prenatal orthopoxvirus infections, we discuss the sonographic features of congenital monkeypox and the role of invasive testing in establishing fetal infection. We suggest a protocol for cesarean delivery to avoid the horizontal transmission of the monkeypox virus at birth and address the controversy of mother-infant separation in the postpartum period. Obstetrical concerns related to antiviral therapy with tecovirimat and vaccinia immune globulin are highlighted, including the risks of heart rate-corrected QT-interval prolongation, inaccuracies in blood glucose monitoring, and the predisposition to iatrogenic venous thromboembolism. The possibility of monkeypox vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy is discussed, and strategies are offered to mitigate these risks. Finally, we conclude with a research proposal to address knowledge gaps related to the impact of monkeypox infection on maternal, fetal, and neonatal health.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and pregnancy.

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading globally at an accelerated rate, with a basic reproduction number (R0) of 2-2.5, indicating that 2-3 persons will be infected from an index patient. A serious public health emergency, it is particularly deadly in vulnerable populations and communities in which healthcare providers are insufficiently prepared to manage the infection. As of March 16, 2020, there are more than 180,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with more than 7000 related deaths. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been isolated from asymptomatic individuals, and affected patients continue to be infectious 2 weeks after cessation of symptoms. The substantial morbidity and socioeconomic impact have necessitated drastic measures across all continents, including nationwide lockdowns and border closures. Pregnant women and their fetuses represent a high-risk population during infectious disease outbreaks. To date, the outcomes of 55 pregnant women infected with COVID-19 and 46 neonates have been reported in the literature, with no definite evidence of vertical transmission. Physiological and mechanical changes in pregnancy increase susceptibility to infections in general, particularly when the cardiorespiratory system is affected, and encourage rapid progression to respiratory failure in the gravida. Furthermore, the pregnancy bias toward T-helper 2 (Th2) system dominance, which protects the fetus, leaves the mother vulnerable to viral infections, which are more effectively contained by the Th1 system. These unique challenges mandate an integrated approach to pregnancies affected by SARS-CoV-2. Here we present a review of COVID-19 in pregnancy, bringing together the various factors integral to the understanding of pathophysiology and susceptibility, diagnostic challenges with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, therapeutic controversies, intrauterine transmission, and maternal-fetal complications. We discuss the latest options in antiviral therapy and vaccine development, including the novel use of chloroquine in the management of COVID-19. Fetal surveillance, in view of the predisposition to growth restriction and special considerations during labor and delivery, is addressed. In addition, we focus on keeping frontline obstetric care providers safe while continuing to provide essential services. Our clinical service model is built around the principles of workplace segregation, responsible social distancing, containment of cross-infection to healthcare providers, judicious use of personal protective equipment, and telemedicine. Our aim is to share a framework that can be adopted by tertiary maternity units managing pregnant women in the flux of a pandemic while maintaining the safety of the patient and healthcare provider at its core.

Oropouche Virus (OROV) in Pregnancy: An Emerging Cause of Placental and Fetal Infection Associated with Stillbirth and Microcephaly following Vertical Transmission.

Oropouche virus (OROV) is an emerging arbovirus endemic in Latin America and the Caribbean that causes Oropouche fever, a febrile illness that clinically resembles some other arboviral infections. It is currently spreading through Brazil and surrounding countries, where, from 1 January to 1 August 2024, more than 8000 cases have been identified in Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, and Peru and for the first time in Cuba. Travelers with Oropouche fever have been identified in the United States and Europe. A significant occurrence during this epidemic has been the report of pregnant women infected with OROV who have had miscarriages and stillborn fetuses with placental, umbilical blood and fetal somatic organ samples that were RT-PCR positive for OROV and negative for other arboviruses. In addition, there have been four cases of newborn infants having microcephaly, in which the cerebrospinal fluid tested positive for IgM antibodies to OROV and negative for other arboviruses. This communication examines the biology, epidemiology, and clinical features of OROV, summarizes the 2023-2024 Oropouche virus epidemic, and describes the reported cases of vertical transmission and congenital infection, fetal death, and microcephaly in pregnant women with Oropouche fever, addresses experimental animal infections and potential placental pathology findings of OROV, and reviews other bunyavirus agents that can cause vertical transmission. Recommendations are made for pregnant women travelling to the regions affected by the epidemic.

COVID-19 vaccination before or during pregnancy results in high, sustained maternal neutralizing activity to SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and Delta/Omicron variants of concern, particularly following a booster dose or infection.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate multi-dose and timings of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing antenatal infection. DESIGN: Prospective observational study investigating primary vaccinations, boosters, antenatal COVID-19 infections, neutralizing antibody (Nab) durability, and cross-reactivity to Delta and Omicron variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients completed primary vaccination prepregnancy (29.6%) and antenatally (63.3%), 24.2% of whom had antenatal COVID-19, while 7.1% were unvaccinated (28.6% had antenatal COVID-19). None had severe COVID-19. Prepregnancy vaccination resulted in vaccination-to-infection delay of 23.3 weeks, which extended to 45.2 weeks with a booster, compared to 16.9 weeks following antenatal vaccination (P < 0.001). Infections occurred at 26.2 weeks gestation in women vaccinated prepregnancy compared to 36.2 weeks gestation in those vaccinated during pregnancy (P < 0.007). The risk of COVID-19 infection was higher without antenatal vaccination (hazard ratio [HR] 14.6, P = 0.05) and after prepregnancy vaccination without a booster (HR 10.4, P = 0.002). Antenatal vaccinations initially led to high Nab levels, with mild waning but subsequent rebound. Significant Nab enhancement occurred with a third-trimester booster. Maternal-neonatal Nab transfer was efficient (transfer ratio >1), and cross-reactivity to VOCs was observed. CONCLUSION: Completing vaccination during any trimester delays COVID-19 infection and maintains effective neutralizing activity throughout pregnancy, with robust cross-reactivity to VOCs and efficient maternal-neonatal transfer.

Mpox Virus in Pregnancy, the Placenta, and Newborn.

CONTEXT.­: Before its eradication, the smallpox virus was a significant cause of poor obstetric outcomes, including maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The mpox (monkeypox) virus is now the most pathogenic member of the Orthopoxvirus genus infecting humans. The 2022 global mpox outbreak has focused attention on its potential effects during pregnancy. OBJECTIVE.­: To understand the comparative effects of different poxvirus infections on pregnancy, including mpox virus, variola virus, vaccinia virus, and cowpox virus. The impact on the pregnant individual, fetus, and placenta will be examined, with particular attention to the occurrence of intrauterine vertical transmission and congenital infection. DATA SOURCES.­: The data are obtained from the authors' cases and from various published sources, including early historical information and contemporary publications. CONCLUSIONS.­: Smallpox caused maternal and perinatal death, with numerous cases reported of intrauterine transmission. In endemic African countries, mpox has also affected pregnant individuals, with up to a 75% perinatal case fatality rate. Since the start of the 2022 mpox outbreak, increasing numbers of pregnant women have been infected with the virus. A detailed description is given of the congenital mpox syndrome in a stillborn fetus, resulting from maternal-fetal transmission and placental infection, and the potential mechanisms of intrauterine infection are discussed. Other poxviruses, notably vaccinia virus and, in 1 case, cowpox virus, can also cause perinatal infection. Based on the historical evidence of poxvirus infections, mpox remains a threat to the pregnant population, and it can be expected that additional cases will occur in the future.