Preterm Labor: Prevention and Management.

In the United States, preterm delivery is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and is the most common reason for hospitalization during pregnancy. The rate of preterm delivery (before 37 weeks' gestation) has been declining since 2007. Clinical diagnosis of preterm labor is made if there are regular contractions and concomitant cervical change. Less than 10% of women with a clinical diagnosis of preterm labor will deliver within seven days of initial presentation. Women with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery are 1.5 to two times more likely to have a subsequent preterm delivery. Antenatal progesterone is associated with a significant decrease in subsequent preterm delivery in certain pregnant women. Current recommendations are to prescribe vaginal progesterone in women with a shortened cervix and no history of preterm delivery, and to use progesterone supplementation regardless of cervical length in women with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery. Cervical cerclage has been used to help correct structural defects or cervical weakening in high-risk women with a shortened cervix. A course of corticosteroids is the only antenatal intervention that has been shown to improve postdelivery neonatal outcomes, including a reduction in neonatal mortality, intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and neonatal infection. Tocolytics, especially prostaglandin inhibitors and calcium channel blockers, may allow time for the administration of antenatal corticosteroids and transfer to a tertiary care facility if necessary. When used in specific at-risk populations, magnesium sulfate provides neuroprotection and decreases the incidence of cerebral palsy in preterm infants.

Epididymitis: An Overview.

Inflammation of the epididymis, or epididymitis, is commonly seen in the outpatient setting. Etiology and treatment are based on patient age and the likely causative organisms. Epididymitis presents as the gradual onset of posterior scrotal pain that may be accompanied by urinary symptoms such as dysuria and urinary frequency. Physical findings include a swollen and tender epididymis with the testis in an anatomically normal position. Although the etiology is largely unknown, reflux of urine into the ejaculatory ducts is considered the most common cause of epididymitis in children younger than 14 years. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis are the most common pathogens in sexually active males 14 to 35 years of age, and a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone with 10 days of oral doxycycline is the treatment of choice in this age group. In men who practice insertive anal intercourse, an enteric organism is also likely, and ceftriaxone with 10 days of oral levofloxacin or ofloxacin is the recommended treatment regimen. In men older than 35 years, epididymitis is usually caused by enteric bacteria transported by reflux of urine into the ejaculatory ducts secondary to bladder outlet obstruction; levofloxacin or ofloxacin alone is sufficient to treat these infections. Because untreated acute epididymitis can lead to infertility and chronic scrotal pain, recognition and therapy are vital to reduce patient morbidity.

Developing a multimodal maternal infant perinatal outpatient delivery system: the MOMI PODS program.

Progress in maternal child health has been hampered by poor rates of outpatient follow up for postpartum individuals. Primary care after delivery can effectively detect and treat several pregnancy-related complications and comorbidities, but postpartum linkage to primary care remains low. In this manuscript, we share the experience of implementing a novel mother-infant dyad program, the Multimodal Maternal Infant Perinatal Outpatient Delivery System (MOMI PODS), to improve primary care linkage and community resource access postpartum via integration into pediatric care structures. With a focus on providing care for people who are publicly insured, we designed a program to mitigate maternal morbidity risk factors in postpartum individuals with chronic disease or pregnancy complications. We discuss the systematic process of designing, executing, and evaluating a collaborative clinical program with involvement of internal medicine/pediatric, family medicine, and obstetric clinicians via establishing stakeholders, identifying best practices, drawing from the evidence base, designing training and promotional materials, training partners and providers, and evaluating clinic enrollment. We share the challenges encountered such as in achieving sufficient provider capacity, consistent provision of care, scheduling, and data tracking, as well as mitigation strategies to overcome these barriers. Overall, MOMI PODS is an innovative approach that integrates outpatient postpartum care into traditional pediatric structures to increase access, showing significant promise to improve healthcare utilization and promote postpartum health.

A quality improvement collaborative increased preventive education and screening rates for women at high-risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care settings.

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rates continue to increase across women of reproductive age in the United States. The Ohio Type 2 Diabetes Learning Collaborative aimed to improve education and screening for T2DM among women aged 18-44years at high risk for developing T2DM. METHODS: Fifteen primary care practices across Ohio participated in a 12-month quality improvement (QI) collaborative, which included monthly calls to share best practices, one-on-one QI coaching, and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Monthly, practices submitted data on three outcome measures on preventive education and three measures on clinical screening for T2DM. RESULTS: Increases across each of the three preventive education rates (range of percent increase: 53.6% - 60.0%) and each of the three screening rates for T2DM (15.0% - 19.4%) were observed. Specifically, screening rates for high-risk women with two or more risk factors for T2DM (excluding gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)) increased by 16.8% (60.5%-77.3%) while rates for T2DM among women with a history of GDM increased by 15.0% (75.0 - 90.0). CONCLUSIONS: A quality improvement collaborative increased preventive education and screening rates for women at high-risk for T2DM in primary care settings.

High-Risk Medication Prescriptions in Primary Care for Women Without Documented Contraception.

INTRODUCTION: During pregnancy, women may be exposed to teratogenic medications resulting in a risk of complications and poor maternal-fetal outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prescription of teratogenic medications in women of childbearing age and the associated prescription of contraception in the primary care setting. METHODS: The use of high-risk, potentially teratogenic, medications was retrospectively evaluated in women of childbearing age (13 to 45 years old) at 2 family medicine practices. Charts were reviewed for medication use and whether patients received a form of birth control (medication, sterilization, or postmenopausal) with the teratogenic medications. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the age-adjusted association between receiving a teratogenic medication and contraception. A subgroup analysis excluding ondansetron was also performed. RESULTS: A total of 3,956 nonpregnant women were included with 988 (25%) prescribed at least 1 high-risk medication. The most commonly prescribed high-risk medications were ondansetron (n = 724, 73%) and lisinopril (n = 195, 20%). More than half (55%) of the women prescribed a high-risk medication were without a form of birth control. When ondansetron was excluded, 10% of the population was prescribed at least 1 high-risk medication with 62% also without a form of birth control. Women less than 25 years of age had decreased odds of receiving contraception when prescribed a teratogenic medication (adjusted odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.66). CONCLUSION: In a family medicine setting, 25% of women of childbearing age were prescribed a high-risk medication with over half not having evidence of contraception management. Interestingly, younger age women had lower odds of receiving contraceptive management when prescribed high-risk medications. Prescribers should be aware of and counsel on the risks of teratogenic medications and regularly evaluate reproductive plans for patients.

Being Reproductive.

Women's reproductive health maintenance begins in the early years of growth and development. Routine care is the basis for early detection of menstrual dysfunction and delays or acceleration of physical development. Patients and their families may not address menstruation concerns because of the sensitive nature of the topic, the patient's self-conscious attitudes, and the parent's apprehension. Providers should be able to provide early detection of menstrual abnormalities, which may uncover underlying health concerns and structural abnormalities. Early intervention and treatment may accelerate or decelerate physical growth, preserve fertility, and promote healthy behaviors with decreased psychological stress for patients and families.

Supporting Family Physician Maternity Care Providers.

Maternity care access in the United States is in crisis. The American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology projects that by 2030 there will be a nationwide shortage of 9,000 obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs). Midwives and OB/GYNs have been called upon to address this crisis, yet in underserved areas, family physicians are often providing a majority of this care. Family medicine maternity care, a natural fit for the discipline, has been on sharp decline in recent years for many reasons including difficulties cultivating interdisciplinary relationships, navigating privileging, developing and maintaining adequate volume/competency, and preventing burnout. In 2016 and 2017, workshops were held among family medicine educators with resultant recommendations for essential strategies to support family physician maternity care providers. This article summarizes these strategies, provides guidance, and highlights the role family physicians have in addressing maternity care access for the underserved as well as presenting innovative ideas to train and retain rural family physician maternity care providers.