Preimplantation sex selection demand and preferences in an infertility population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the demand and preferences of infertility patients for sex selection and the method and sex they would choose, and to investigate the relationship between these choices and their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: University hospital-based fertility center. PATIENT(S): One thousand five hundred consecutive women who presented for infertility care. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Self-report questionnaire assessing the demand and preferences for sex selection. RESULT(S): Of respondents, 40.8% wanted to select the sex of their next child for no added cost. Of these patients, 45.9% had no living children and 48.4% had children all of one sex. After adjustment for observed predictors of gender preference, we found a significant preference for a female child among women who were older, not religious, willing to pay for sex selection, had more living children, had only sons, or had a diagnosis of male infertility. Nulliparous women did not significantly prefer one sex over the other. Among parous women, those with only daughters significantly desired to select a male child, whereas those with sons significantly desired to select a female child. In terms of the method of sex selection, 55.0%, 41.0%, and 4.0% of the patients would use sperm separation, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or neither method, respectively. CONCLUSION(S): There is significant demand among infertility patients for preimplantation sex selection, with a significant portion of this demand coming from patients who do not have any children or have children all of one sex.

Preprocedural fasting state and adverse events in children undergoing procedural sedation and analgesia in a pediatric emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Assessment of preprocedural fasting is considered essential in minimizing the risks of procedural sedation and analgesia. Established fasting guidelines are difficult to follow in the emergency department (ED). We characterize the fasting status of patients receiving procedural sedation and analgesia in a pediatric ED and assess the relationship between fasting status and adverse events. METHODS: A prospective case series was conducted in a children's hospital ED during an 11-month period. All consecutive patients requiring procedural sedation and analgesia were included. Preprocedural fasting state and adverse events were recorded. The percentage of patients undergoing procedural sedation and analgesia who did not meet fasting guidelines was determined. Adverse events were analyzed in relation to fasting status. RESULTS: One thousand fourteen patients underwent procedural sedation and analgesia, and data on fasting status were available for 905 (89%) patients. Of these 905 patients, 509 (56%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 53% to 60%) did not meet fasting guidelines. Seventy-seven adverse events occurred in 68 (6.7%; 95% CI 5.2% to 8.4%) of the 1,014 patients. All adverse events were minor and successfully treated. Adverse events occurred in 32 (8.1%; 95% CI 5.6% to 11.2%) of 396 patients who met and 35 (6.9%; 95% CI 4.8% to 9.4%) of 509 patients who did not meet fasting guidelines. There was no significant difference in median fasting duration between patients with and without adverse events and between patients with and without emesis. Emesis occurred in 15 (1.5%) patients. There were no episodes of aspiration (1-sided 97.5% CI 0% to 0.4%). CONCLUSION: Fifty-six percent of children undergoing ED procedural sedation and analgesia were not fasted in accordance with established guidelines. There was no association between preprocedural fasting state and adverse events.