Information on early medical abortion for women using an audiovisual animation vs face-to-face consultation: A consortium randomized and quasi-randomized trial.

INTRODUCTION: There is some evidence that audiovisual formats can be an effective way of providing information about early medical abortion (EMA). A short animation (3 minutes) was developed about EMA in three languages that summarized the EMA process for use in the UK, France and Sweden. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial to compare information on EMA delivered by an animated film vs a face-to-face consultation. Women requesting EMA (≤9 weeks' gestation) from abortion clinics in Edinburgh (UK), Paris (France) and Stockholm (Sweden) were recruited. The primary outcome was women's recall of prespecified key information on EMA. Secondary outcomes were acceptability of mode of information delivery, clarity and helpfulness of information rated on a Likert scale. The study was prospectively registered with clinicaltrials.gov, ID number: NCT03417362. RESULTS: 172 women completed the study (Edinburgh = 50, Paris = 78, Stockholm = 48). There was no statistically significant difference in recall scores between the animation and standard arms in Edinburgh and Stockholm sites. However, the difference between arms at the Paris site was statistically significant (P = .007) in favor of the animation. All participants in the animation arm rated it as an acceptable way to receive information on EMA. CONCLUSIONS: A "short" audiovisual animation can adequately and acceptably deliver key information about EMA. This intervention could be used routinely to provide standardized and high-quality information to women seeking EMA.

[Induced abortion between 14 and 16th: Clinical context and complications]. / Étude prospective sur 46 patientes de la pratique de l'IVG chirurgicale entre 14 et 16 SA : parcours de soins et complications.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to characterize the women's health care pathway and to evaluate the rate of complications during a surgical abortion according to the technique of dilatation and evacuation between 14 and 16 SA. METHOD: Single-center prospective study at the Armand Trousseau Hospital with inclusion of women who had an abortion between 14 and 16 GA in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of the Armand Trousseau Hospital between March 2 and October 31, 2022. RESULTS: Forty-six women underwent an abortion during this 8-month period. The average gestational age at which the abortions were performed was 15 weeks' gestation with an median delay of 14.0 days between the date of discovery of the pregnancy and the date of the abortion with more than half of the women (65.2 %, N=30) having consulted for the first time for an abortion request before 14 weeks' gestation. Of these women, 22 (48.9%) had to consult several hospitals before being treated. One woman (2.2% 95% CI [0.0-6.4]) had a haemorrhage defined by bleeding more than 500ml. Cervical suture for cervical tear was performed in four women (8.7% 95% CI [0.0-16.8]). There were no complications such as perforation, postoperative infection or surgical revision. No women were transfused. CONCLUSION: The introduction in our center of surgical abortion using the dilatation and evacuation technique performed between 14 and 16 weeks' gestation wasn't accompanied by significant morbidity. The women's pathway before the procedure probably contributed to the later performance of the abortion.

[The history of emergency contraception]. / La contraception d'urgence - Une longue histoire.

Emergency contraception (EC) has evolved since the 1960's to enable a better tolerance. Lower hormone doses, simplified schemes, withdrawal of estrogens have led to a user friendly, over-the-counter available EC. The copper intra-uterine device, requiring health care professionals' intervention, is less accessible. However, it allows simultaneous initiation of a reliable long-term contraception. Unfortunately, EC is still underused and information reinforcement is needed to overcome reluctance to its use.

TITLE: La contraception d'urgence - Une longue histoire. ABSTRACT: La contraception d'urgence (CU) évolue depuis les années 1960, devenant de mieux en mieux tolérée par les femmes qui la prennent. Les contraceptions d'urgence hormonales ont ainsi utilisé des doses d'hormones de plus en plus faibles, avec des schémas d'utilisation simplifiés. Les œstrogènes ont finalement été abandonnés, conduisant à la mise en vente de ces contraceptions sans besoin d'une prescription. Le dispositif intra-utérin au cuivre, qui nécessite, quant à lui, le recours à un professionnel de santé, est moins accessible. Pourtant, il permet l'instauration d'une contraception au long cours. Malgré des progrès indéniables, la contraception d'urgence reste encore trop peu utilisée, faute d'une information efficace mais aussi de différents freins.

Predicted propofol effect-site concentration for induction and emergence of anesthesia during early pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is associated with decreased hypnotic requirement, allegedly related to progesterone. However, the effects of pregnancy and progesterone on propofol requirement have not been thoroughly investigated. We conducted this study to determine whether propofol dose and predicted effect-site concentration for loss of consciousness (LOC) during induction of anesthesia, and eye opening during emergence from anesthesia, are decreased during early pregnancy. We also investigated whether blood progesterone was correlated with propofol dose and effect-site concentration for LOC. METHODS: We studied 57 ASA I-II women patients undergoing elective termination of pregnancy and 55 control patients undergoing transvaginal oocyte puncture for in vitro fertilization. Anesthesia was induced by administration of a 1% propofol infusion at 200 mL/min. Propofol dose and calculated effect-site concentration (Schnider model) were recorded at the time of LOC during induction. We also calculated effect-site concentration at the time of eye opening upon emergence from anesthesia. Blood progesterone was measured after surgery. RESULTS: Mean (+/-1 SD) propofol dose at LOC was significantly reduced in the pregnant patients compared with the nonpregnant control patients (108.57 +/- 20.04 vs 117.59 +/- 17.98 mg, respectively; P = 0.014). Similarly, the calculated propofol effect-site concentration at LOC was significantly lower in the pregnant patients than the nonpregnant control patients (4.59 +/- 0.72 vs 5.01 +/- 0.64 microg/mL, respectively; P = 0.0014). There was no difference in the calculated effect-site concentration on eye opening upon emergence. No significant relationship was observed between blood progesterone and propofol dose or calculated propofol effect-site concentration at LOC. CONCLUSION: Propofol dose and predicted propofol effect-site concentration at LOC are decreased during early pregnancy. Progesterone does not explain this result.

Elective abortion: Clinical practice guidelines from the French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF).

The number of elective abortions has been stable for several decades. Many factors explain women's choice of abortion in cases of unplanned pregnancies. Early initiation of contraceptive use and a choice of contraceptive choices appropriate to the woman's life are associated with lower rates of unplanned pregnancies. Reversible long-acting contraceptives should be favored as first-line methods for adolescents because of their effectiveness (grade C). Ultrasound scan before an elective abortion must be encouraged but should not be obligatory (professional consensus). As soon as the embryo appears on the ultrasound scan, the date of pregnancy is estimated by measuring the crown-rump length (CRL) or, from 11 weeks on, by measuring the biparietal diameter (BPD) (grade A). Because reliability of these parameters is ±5 days, the abortion may be done if measurements are respectively less than 90 mm for CRL and less than 30 mm for BPD (professional consensus). A medically induced abortion, performed with a dose of 200 mg mifepristone combined with misoprostol, is effective at any gestational age (Level of Evidence (LE) 1). Before 7 weeks, mifepristone should be followed 24-48 h later by misoprostol, administered orally, buccally, sublingually, or even vaginally followed if needed by a further dose of 400 µg after 3 h, to be renewed if needed after 3 h (LE 1, grade A). After 7 weeks, administration of misoprostol by the vaginal, sublingual, or buccal routes is more effective and better tolerated than by the oral route (LE 1). Cervical preparation is recommended for systematic use in surgical abortions (professional consensus). Misoprostol is a first-line agent for cervical preparation at a dose of 400 µg (grade A). Vacuum aspiration is preferable to curettage (grade B). A uterus perforated during surgical aspiration should not routinely be considered to be scarred (professional consensus). An elective abortion is not associated with a higher risk of subsequent infertility or ectopic pregnancy (LE 2). The medical consultation before an elective abortion generally does not affect the decision to end or continue the pregnancy, and most women are sufficiently certain about their choice at this time. Women appear to find the method used most acceptable and to be most satisfied when they were able to choose the method (grade B). Elective abortions are not associated with an increased rate of psychiatric disorders (LE 2). However, women with psychiatric histories are at a higher risk of psychological disorders after the occurrence of an unplanned pregnancy than women with such a history (LE 2). For surgical abortions, combined hormonal contraceptives - oral or transdermal - should be started on the day of the abortion, while the vaginal ring should be inserted 5 days afterwards (grade B). For medical abortions, the vaginal ring should be inserted in the week after mifepristone administration, while the combined contraceptives should begin the same day as the misoprostol or the day after (grade C). Contraceptive implants should be inserted on the same day as a surgical abortion, and may be inserted the day the mifepristone is administered for medical abortions (grade B and C respectively). In case of medical abortion, the implant can be inserted the same day the mifepristone is administered (grade C). Both the copper IUDs and levonorgestrel intrauterine system should be inserted on the day of the surgical abortion (grade A). After medical abortions, an IUD can be inserted in 10 days after mifepristone administration, after ultrasound scan verification of the absence of an intrauterine pregnancy (grade C).

Pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (300/100 mg once daily) in HIV-1-infected pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r) is a boosted protease inhibitor recommended to minimize the risk of mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission (MTCT). We aimed to assess the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of ATV/r in HIV-1-infected pregnant women and their neonates. METHODS: A multicentre, cross-sectional, non-interventional cohort of HIV-1-infected pregnant women receiving ATV/r (300/100 mg once daily) who delivered in three Paris hospitals from 2006 to 2013 was designed. We determined antiretroviral trough plasma concentrations using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry at each of the three trimesters, delivery and post-partum. ATV concentrations at 24 h (C24h) were interpreted by the 150-850 ng/ml efficacy-tolerance thresholds. Safety data and newborn HIV status were recorded. A mother's virological failure was defined as two successive measurements of plasma HIV-1 RNA>50 copies/ml within the 2 months before delivery. RESULTS: 103 pregnant women were included, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa (88%). ATV C24h at each of the three trimesters and delivery remained similar to post-partum values. No dose adjustment was needed during pregnancy. The median plasma ratio of fetal/maternal ATV level was 0.19 (n=28). Only three patients showed two successive detectable viral loads but <400 copies/ml. Among 82 available newborn data, 16 were born preterm. Three in utero deaths occurred. Tolerance was good with one case of maternal grade 3 hyperbilirubinaemia, no cases in neonates at delivery and no clinically relevant adverse event. No case of MTCT was reported. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, an ATV/r-containing antiretroviral regimen demonstrated good pharmacokinetics, virological efficacy and safety. No significant impact of pregnancy on ATV C24h was found. No dose adjustment was required.