History Of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Research Articles

Invasive Obstetric Procedures and Cesarean Sections in Women With Known Herpes Simplex Virus Status During Pregnancy.

BackgroundNeonatal herpes is a potentially devastating infection that results from acquisition of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 or 2 from the maternal genital tract at the time of vaginal delivery. Current guidelines recommend (1) cesarean delivery if maternal genital HSV lesions are present at the time of labor and (2) antiviral suppressive therapy for women with known genital herpes to decrease HSV shedding from the genital tract at the time of vaginal delivery. However, most neonatal infections occur in infants born to women without a history of genital HSV, making current prevention efforts ineffective for this group. Although routine serologic HSV testing of women during pregnancy could identify women at higher risk of intrapartum viral shedding, it is uncertain how this knowledge might impact intrapartum management, and a potential concern is a higher rate of cesarean sections among women known to be HSV-2 seropositive.MethodsTo assess the effects of prenatal HSV-2 antibody testing, history of genital herpes, and use of suppressive antiviral medication on the intrapartum management of women, we investigated the frequency of invasive obstetric procedures and cesarean deliveries. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women delivering at the University of Washington Medical center in Seattle, Washington. We defined the exposure of interest as HSV-2 antibody positivity or known history of genital herpes noted in prenatal records. The primary outcome was intrapartum procedures including fetal scalp electrode, artificial rupture of membranes, intrauterine pressure catheter, or operative vaginal delivery (vacuum or forceps). The secondary outcome was incidence of cesarean birth. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed.ResultsFrom a total of 449 women included in the analysis, 97 (21.6%) were HSV-2 seropositive or had a history of genital herpes (HSV-2/GH). Herpes simplex virus-2/GH women not using suppressive antiviral therapy were less likely to undergo intrapartum procedures than women without HSV-2/GH (odds ratio [OR], 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.25–0.95; P = .036), but this relationship was attenuated after adjustment for potential confounders (adjusted OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.34–1.41; P = .31). There was no difference in intrapartum procedures for women on suppressive therapy versus women without HSV-2/GH (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.66–2.07; P = .60). Similar proportions of cesarean sections were performed within each group of women: 25% without history of HSV-2/GH, 30% on suppressive treatment, and 28.1% without suppressive treatment (global, P = .73).ConclusionsIn this single-site study, provider awareness of genital herpes infection either by HSV serotesting or history was associated with fewer invasive obstetric procedures shown to be associated with neonatal herpes, but it was not associated with an increased rate of cesarean birth.

P249 Audit of adherence to referral pathway for pregnant women with history of genital herpes booked at a tertiary referral maternity hospital, aug 2015 – aug 2016

IntroductionGenital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) can be transmitted in the perinatal period with the potential for serious and devastating consequences for the fetus/infant. Transmission from mother to infant most commonly occurs due to exposure during delivery (85 – 90%). Early 2014, the team caring for women with Infectious Diseases in pregnancy identified that women, with a history of genital HSV or an outbreak in pregnancy, were an at-risk group without a specific care pathway, often with differing clinical decisions regarding their care.MethodsA retrospective audit was undertaken to ascertain adherence to a newly introduced referral pathway for pregnant women who gave a history of genital herpes booking into a tertiary referral Maternity Hospital, August 2015 – August 2016.ResultsOur initial audit over a 9 month period demonstrated that there was an overall deficit in knowledge regarding the new referral pathway. The 9 month audit showed that only 13 of 49 (26%) of women were referred to specialist services at any time during their pregnancy. Our subsequent audit showed 54% of women were referred for specialist consult in the period following re-education; a large improvement in awareness of our referral pathway.DiscussionAudit of practice and in particular following an introduction of a new care pathway, is an essential tool for demonstrating compliance as well as highlighting gaps which require addressing. Education targeting the team of midwives who ascertain women’s history on booking into the maternity services, has improved referrals as per our 4 month follow-up audit.