Obstetrician-gynecologists' practices regarding preterm birth at the limit of viability.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med
; 21(2): 115-21, 2008 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18240080
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To assess obstetrician-gynecologists' judgments of gestational age of viability and earliest age of medical intervention for preterm delivery, and to associate these practice decisions with physician characteristics.METHODS:
Questionnaires were mailed to 1193 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).RESULTS:
The response rate was 59%. The majority of respondents considered 24 weeks the earliest age a fetus is potentially viable (57%) and at which they would routinely perform cesarean section for fetal distress (58%). Those respondents who judged viability as 23 weeks or less were more likely to have been in practice for a shorter period (p < 0.05), be a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (p < 0.005), and be from southern or central states (p < 0.005). Similarly, those respondents who would not intervene for fetal distress until 26 weeks gestation were more likely to have been in practice for longer (p < 0.01), to have performed fewer deliveries (p < 0.05), to be in solo practice (p < 0.01), and not to be a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (p < 0.01); males and females did not differ when controlling for age (p = 0.552).CONCLUSION:
Obstetrician-gynecologists' judgment of viability threshold is consistent with standard estimates of 24 weeks. Viability judgment and reported earliest age for routine intervention both differ by physician characteristics.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Padrões de Prática Médica
/
Idade Gestacional
/
Nascimento Prematuro
/
Viabilidade Fetal
/
Ginecologia
/
Obstetrícia
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2008
Tipo de documento:
Article