Obstetric Physician Research Articles

Experiences of Midwestern obstetric clinicians during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to healthcare system changes aimed at minimizing disease transmission that impacted experiences with obstetric healthcare. ObjectiveTo explore experiences of clinicians providing obstetric care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study DesignQualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five nurse practitioners and 16 obstetrical physicians providing a mix of outpatient and inpatient obstetric care during the COVID-19 pandemic in a mid-sized, Midwestern city in the United States. Interviews elucidated challenges and facilitators of obstetric care provision and vaccination of pregnant patients against COVID-19 during the pandemic. Transcripts were coded inductively then deductively using the Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF), which integrates a disparities framework and implementation framework to highlight multilevel factors that influence obstetric care. Thematic analysis was conducted, and thematic saturation was reached. ResultsWe interviewed 21 clinicians. Clinicians recounted personal challenges such as social isolation and burnout that could be countered by social support. Challenges within the clinical encounter included implementation of infection mitigation efforts, vaccine counseling, and limitations of telehealth. However, when successfully implemented, telehealth facilitated care and circumvented barriers. Clinicians cited challenges at the healthcare system level such as rapidly evolving knowledge and recommendations, restrictive visitor policies, personnel shortage, and inadequate institutional resources to support pandemic-related stressors. However, interdisciplinary care and guidelines available for clinicians facilitated care. Clinicians reported that challenges at the societal level included financial strain, lack of childcare, medical mistrust, politicization of medicine, misinformation, and racism. Societal-level facilitators included insurance access, community outreach, positive policy changes, and fostering trust in medicine. ConclusionThe pandemic produced unique stressors and exacerbated existing challenges for clinicians providing obstetric care. Applying the HEIF to the findings emphasizes the influence of societal factors on all other levels. Identified facilitators can inform interventions to address stressors in obstetric care that have resulted from the changed sociopolitical landscape of the pandemic.

Midwives' and Obstetric Physicians' Practices Related to Pregnancy Nutrition Counseling: A Scoping Review.

Dietary intake during pregnancy impacts short- and long-term maternal and fetal health outcomes. Dietary habits are highly individualized and influenced by contextual factors and social determinants of health within each person's lived environment. Midwives and other health care providers are well positioned to facilitate nutrition conversations and interventions with patients related to recommendations and modifications before and during pregnancy. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on perinatal care providers' attitudes and practices related to antenatal nutrition counseling. An electronic database literature search was conducted in March 2023 using the following inclusion criteria: English language, published between 1990 and 2023, completed in high-income countries, and evaluated provider practices related to educating pregnancy patients on nutrition. Exclusion criteria included comparison or interventional studies as well as those focused on patient perspectives, specialty diets, comorbidities, or pregnancy complications. Thematic analysis was completed to identify common themes and subthemes across studies related to perinatal care providers' perspectives of pregnancy nutrition. Thirty-six articles were included in the final review. Although providers acknowledged the importance of nutrition for pregnancy outcomes, few reported being able to cover the topic in-depth during antenatal visits. Counseling was usually generalized, limited in scope, and lacked consideration of patient-specific contextual factors such as dietary restrictions, preferences, or access to resources needed to follow recommendations. Provider barriers to comprehensive nutrition counseling included lack of training and time during clinic visits and limited availability of guidelines. Multiple gaps in current pregnancy nutrition counseling practices exist. Despite nutrition being viewed by perinatal care providers as an important part of pregnancy, multiple barriers lead to it being overlooked during patient-provider interactions. Contextual factors for both providers and patients contribute to failure of current interventions to consistently and significantly impact dietary habits of pregnant people.

Fitting in? Physician practice style after forced relocation.

This study aims to examine how variation in physicians' treatment decisions for newborn deliveries responds to changes in the hospital-level norms for obstetric clinical decision-making. All hospital-based births in Florida from 2003 through 2017. Difference-in-differences approach is adopted that leverages obstetric unit closures as the source of identifying variation to exogenously shift obstetricians to a new, nearby hospital with different propensities to approach newborn deliveries less intensively. Births attributed to physicians continuously observed 2 years before the closure event and 2 years after the closure event (treatment group physicians) or for identical time periods around a randomly assigned placebo closure date (control group physicians). All of the physicians meeting our inclusion criteria shifted their births to a new hospital less than 20 miles from the hospital shuttering its obstetric unit. The new hospitals approached newborn births more conservatively, and treatment group physicians sharply became less aggressive in their newborn birth clinical management (e.g., use of C-section). The immediate 11-percentage point (33%) increase in delivering newborns without any procedure behavior change is statistically significant (p value <0.01) and persistent after the closure event; however, the physicians' payer and patient mix are unchanged. Obstetric physician behavior change appears highly malleable and sensitive to the practice patterns of other physicians delivering newborns at the same hospital. Incentives and policies that encourage more appropriate clinical care norms hospital-wide could sharply improve physician treatment decisions, with benefits for maternal and infant outcomes.

Learning to Lead: An Exploration of Leadership Development in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Despite the demonstrated value of leadership in medicine, there is limited research on how physicians develop leadership skills. We administered a national survey (225 respondents) and conducted eight interviews of residents, fellows, and staff physicians in obstetrics and gynaecology to explore leadership skill development. Most (87%) positively rated the effectiveness of their leadership skills; however, the majority (98%) stated they would benefit from further training. Interview themes indicated that leadership skills can be taught, leadership training and roles should be intentional, training should be longitudinal, and barriers to training can be overcome with changes to the current model.

(350) Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge and Comfortability of Medical Trainees in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Genito-pelvic Pain Penetration Disorder

Abstract Introduction Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder (GPPPD) is a common condition affecting up to 25% of the US population. Despite its prevalence, significant barriers exist for patients to obtain appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Lack of uniform education in vulvar anatomy, physiology, and vulvar pain conditions in medical schools for trainees may be a contributing factor in the delay to diagnosis for patients. The vulvar examination is pivotal in diagnosing GPPPD but is often omitted, despite its importance, due to shortcomings in medical education. The lack of formal education may leave many healthcare workers feeling unprepared to care for their patients' sexual health. Objective Our study aims to assess the fundamental knowledge of medical trainees who treat vulvar health in the diagnosis and treatment of GPPPD. We also aim to assess the knowledge and confidence of physician residents on how to conduct a comprehensive vulvar examination. Methods This cross-sectional analytical survey study uses Qualtrics to administer the survey after obtaining IRB approval. The target audience includes urology residents, obstetrics and gynecology residents, dermatology residents, internal medicine residents, family medicine residents, emergency medicine residents, and medical students. The survey link and a brief description of the project were emailed to all residency program directors in these specialties who had valid email addresses provided in the FREIDA American Medical Association Residency Database. Program directors were instructed to share the link to the anonymous online survey with their current resident cohorts. Results Survey collection is currently ongoing and formal results are forthcoming. We hypothesize that the results will demonstrate that resident physicians in urology, obstetrics and gynecology, dermatology, internal medicine, family medicine, and emergency medicine as well as medical students are not receiving instruction or counseling on vulvar anatomy, how to diagnose common vulvar conditions, or how to treat common vulvar conditions. Each of these shortcomings significantly contributes to the lack of access and misdiagnosis that patients with GPPPD experience which leads to overutilization of the healthcare system and significant disruption in patient’s quality of life. We aim to show the disparities that exist in order to affect a systematic change and standardization in how we teach vulvar sexual health curriculum nationwide. Conclusions It is crucial to assess these knowledge gaps in training to create educational tools to alleviate these medical education shortcomings. We believe that our findings will provide evidence that will warrant targeted interventions, such as the creation of a nationwide standardized curriculum of medical school training in vulvar anatomy and physiology. Furthermore, we hope this work serves as a catalyst for increased cultural competency training for medical trainees to better address structural barriers for patients with GPPPD to obtain health care with the goal of effectively increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the healthcare landscape. Disclosure No.

Nonpharmacological pain relief for labour pain: knowledge, attitude, and barriers among obstetric care providers.

Labor pain is considered the worst pain in a woman's life. Hence, pain control should be essential to labor management at any level. There is scarce information, and there are gaps regarding the knowledge, attitude, and barriers to the utilization of nonpharmacological approaches for pain relief in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate nonpharmacological pain relief (NPPR)-related knowledge, attitudes, and barriers among obstetric care providers in Najran, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional analytical study was performed at maternity departments in Maternal and Children Hospital (MCH), Najran, Saudi Arabia, from April 1 to May 26 2023. The study involved 186 obstetric care providers (OPCs), physicians (19), nurses (144), and midwives (23). A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data and involves five main sections: demographic data, work-related data, nonpharmacological pain relief-related attitude, perceived barriers, and knowledge quiz. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) along with 95% CI was estimated to determine the factors associated with nonpharmacological pain relief-related knowledge and attitude using multivariate analysis in the binary logistic regression. Over three-quarters (79%) of obstetric care providers had adequate knowledge of nonpharmacological pain relief methods. The majority (85.5%) of the participants had a positive attitude toward NPPR in labour pain management, with the mean scores ranging from 3.55-4.23 for all sub-items. Obstetric care providers acknowledged that patient belief, lack of time, and workload were the strongest barriers to offering nonpharmacological pain relief methods for labour pain 67.6%, 64.5%, and 61.3%, respectively. In binary logistic regression analysis, the in-service training related to nonpharmacological pain relief (AOR = 5.871 (2.174-15.857), p=0.000), (AOR = 3.942 (1.926-11.380), p=0.013) and years of work experience (AOR = 1.678 (1.080-2.564), p=0.019), (AOR = 1.740 (1.188-2.548), p=0.003) were significantly associated with obstetric care providers' knowledge and attitudes regarding nonpharmacological pain relief (p≤0.05). Although most OPCs have adequate knowledge and a positive attitude regarding NPPR, they need motivational strategies to enhance their utilization. In addition, an effort should be made to decrease OPCs' workload to provide more time for NPPR application and patient education. Training courses and in-service training can play an important role in enhancing NPPR knowledge and attitude and, consequently, its application. Also, in each working unit, the policymakers should provide clear guidelines and policies that enhance and control the utilization of NPPR.

Prevention of Preeclampsia in Saudi Arabia: Knowledge about Risk Factors and Aspirin Use among Obstetrical Care Physicians - A National Survey

Objectives: To assess the level of awareness among obstetrical care providers about preeclampsia prevention including risk factors, good practice in aspirin prophylaxis, and to analyze the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted among gynecologists and obstetricians, maternal and fetal medicine specialists, and internal or family medicine physicians working in public or private care centers whom involved in obstetric care in Saudi Arabia. An online-administered questionnaire was designed to assess familiarity of aspirin role in prevention of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction including proper dose, timing of intake, gestational age to start and discontinuation of treatment as well as the risk factors of PE among set of 13 conditions. An awareness score was calculated and divided into two levels: adequate and inadequate familiarity and knowledge. Practice in PE prevention and attitude towards aspirin use, in addition to participants’ demographic and professional factors, were investigated and analyzed as profound factors. Results: Hundred sixty physicians were participated, 85% were obstetrician/gynecologists and 13.1 were maternal fetal medicine Specialists. Less than half of participants have adequate knowledge and awareness in aspirin role and a minority provided correct answers regarding the recommended aspiring dose, timing of intake, gestational age to start and discontinuation of treatment. However, knowledge about preeclampsia risk factors was relatively acceptable. Maternal fetal medicine specialist and physicians working in teaching hospitals were remarkably with better knowledge compared to their respective counterparts in primary and secondary centers. The existence of institutional guidelines about ASA use in pregnancy did not improve the knowledge level. Conclusion: The overall familiarity and knowledge in that regard was relatively poor, associating misconceptions about the risk factors and substantial gaps regarding the optimal timing and prescribing practice. Formal and continuous medical education curricula should be reviewed to promote good clinical practice in preeclampsia prevention as an essential dimension of maternal and fetal care.

Establishing a trigger tool based on global trigger tools to identify adverse drug events in obstetric inpatients in China

BackgroundPregnant women belong to the special population of drug therapy, and their physiological state, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are significantly different from the general population. Drug safety during pregnancy involves two generations, which is a hot issue widely concerned in the whole society. Global Trigger Tool (GTT) of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has been wildly used as a patient safety measurement strategy by several institutions and national programs, and the effectiveness had been demonstrated. But only one study reports the use of GTT in obstetric delivery until now. The aim of the study is to establish triggers detecting adverse drug events (ADEs) suitable for obstetric inpatients on the basis of the GTT, to examine the performance of the obstetric triggers in detecting ADEs experienced by obstetric units compared with the spontaneous reporting system and GTT, and to assess the utility and value of the obstetric trigger tool in identifying ADEs of obstetric inpatients.MethodsBased on a literature review searched in PubMed and CNKI from January of 1997 to October of 2023, retrospective local obstetric ADEs investigations, relevant obstetric guidelines and the common adverse reactions of obstetric therapeutic drugs were involved to establish the initial obstetric triggers. According to the Delphi method, two rounds of expert questionnaire survey were conducted among 16 obstetric and neonatological physicians and pharmacists until an agreement was reached. A retrospective study was conducted to identity ADEs in 300 obstetric inpatient records at the Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from June 1 to September 30, 2018. Two trained junior pharmacists analyzed the first eligible records independently, and the included records reviewed by trained pharmacist and physician to identify ADEs. Sensitivity and specificity of the established obstetric triggers were assessed by the number of ADEs/100 patients and positive predictive value with the spontaneous reporting system (SRS) and GTT. Excel 2010 and SPSS22 were used for data analysis.ResultsThrough two rounds of expert investigation, 39 preliminary triggers were established that comprised four modules (12 laboratory tests, 9 medications, 14 symptoms, and 4 outcomes). A total of 300 medical records were reviewed through the obstetric triggers, of which 48 cases of ADEs were detected, with an incidence of ADEs of 16%. Among the 39 obstetric triggers, 22 (56.41%) were positive and 11 of them detected ADEs. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 36.36%, and the number of ADEs/100 patients was 16.33 (95% CI, 4.19–17.81). The ADE detection rate, positive trigger rate, and PPV for the obstetric triggers were significantly augmented, confirming that the obstetric triggers were more specific and sensitive than SRS and GTT.ConclusionThe obstetric triggers were proven to be sensitive and specific in the active monitoring of ADE for obstetric inpatients, which might serve as a reference for ADE detection of obstetric inpatients at medical institutions.

Demographics of Physician Associates (PAs) in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Where They Work and How They Compare to Other PAs.

As of 2020, maternal and infant health in the US has worsened. At the same time, the number of health professionals available to manage female health issues is changing; the number of physicians in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn) and midwives is decreasing, whereas the number of Ob-Gyn physician associates (PAs) is growing. We analyzed PAs practicing in the Ob-Gyn discipline, drawing on the PA Professional Profile, a database maintained by the National Commission on Certification of PAs. In 2021, there were 1,322 Ob-Gyn PAs (1.2% of all clinically active PAs). This health profession has grown by 66.9% since 2013, when only 792 PAs practiced in this specialty. As of 2021, their median age was 38, and 98.0% were female (70.1% of all PAs were female). The practice setting was between office (54.7%) and hospital (34.0%) employment, with 11.3% described as "other." In 2021, the median annual income of Ob-Gyn PAs was $105,000. With the reduction of obstetrician-gynecologists, the relative growth of PAs in this area of medicine and surgery is a natural part of the solution to the projected obstetrical physician deficit.

Provider attitudes and current practice regarding the prescription of opioid-containing pain medication for vaginal delivery.

The epidemic of opioid misuse and abuse is rampant in the United States. A large percentage of patients who go on to misuse or abuse opioids were initially legally prescribed an opioid medication by their physician. One of the most common reasons patients of reproductive age seek medical care is for pregnancy and delivery. These patients are frequently prescribed opioids. Greater than one in 10 Medicaid-enrolled women fill an opioid prescription after vaginal delivery. To assess the opioid prescribing patterns of obstetric providers following vaginal deliveries. Obstetric physicians and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) from different practice backgrounds were administered a questionnaire regarding opioid prescribing practices for patients who undergo vaginal delivery. Providers were contacted via email and completed survey via REDCap. Ninety-nine providers completed the survey between October 2018 and January 2019. Eight percent of all providers reported prescribing opioids at discharge after vaginal deliveries. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of physicians who provided opioid prescriptions at discharge compared to CNMs (16.7 percent vs 1.8 percent, respectively, p < .05). Common reasons for prescribing opioids at discharge included post-partum tubal ligation (56.4 percent), third- and fourth-degree lacerations (59.6 and 73.4 percent, respectively), and operative deliveries (26.6 percent). Physicians were significantly more likely to prescribe an opioid after a second-degree laceration than CNMs (19.1 percent vs 5.3 percent, p < 0.05). Practice patterns for opioid prescription vary by provider type as well as by delivery characteristics. Further study is necessary to delineate the optimal care while minimizing unnecessary opioid prescriptions.

Gender gap-Gender-specific development in the field of obstetrics and gynecology in Germany in the last 20 years.

Gender Gap refers to differences between men and women in terms of access to medical education, career development, and leadership positions in medical practice and research. Although women now make up most medical school graduates in many countries, they are often underrepresented in higher positions. The aim of this study is therefore to analyze the gender-specific development in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Germany over the past 20 years and to survey the current status quo. An narrative review was carried out on the development of female graduates of human medicine, the proportion of women in contract medical care and clinical care, as well as the gender-specific evaluation of obtaining a gynecological/obstetric additional qualification. habilitation figures in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology were evaluated about gender distribution. All data were received from federal institutes. A total of 46.7% (n = 95,234) of all inpatient doctors were female. A total of 46.7% (n = 95,234) of the physicians in hospitals were female. A total of 46% (1,832/3,958) were the portion of females as assistant physicians, 39.8% (n = 45.551) as specialists, 35.3% (n = 18789) as senior physicians, 25.1% (n = 2394) as first senior physicians and 25% (n = 10) as chief physicians in hospital. A total of 64.6% (n = 3958) of the physicians in Obstetrics and Gynecology were female. A total of 46% (1,832/3,958) were the portion of females as assistant physicians, 64.6% (n = 3958) as specialists, 65.0% (n = 1919) as senior physicians, 26.4% (n = 207) first senior physicians and 25% (n = 10) as chief physicians in Obstetrics and Gynecology. The problem with the gender gap in medicine, does not seem to be access to teaching or starting a residency. But in the functions with increasing responsibility and management functions, e.g., as senior physicians, women are already rarely seen. In Obstetrics and Gynecology, too, there is a shortage of women in leading positions, despite the relatively high numbers, for example as senior physicians. Factors like maternity and establishing a family are points mentioned therefore, but also stereotypes seem to be considerable facts. However, it is important to recognize the need for more women in higher positions in medicine and actively work to encourage more women to choose a career in medicine.

Examining Postpartum Anticoagulation Practices: An International Survey of Healthcare Providers

Background Prophylactic anticoagulation is usually recommended for six weeks postpartum (PPM) for individuals at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, there are no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing optimal duration of prophylactic anticoagulation post-partum. Moreover, the risk is not equivalent throughout the six weeks as evidenced by a sharp decline in VTE risk following the third week PPM. These observations call into question the optimal duration of PPM thromboprophylaxis and whether a full six weeks is needed. Objective This study sought to determine postpartum anticoagulation practices and to explore practitioners' willingness to consider reduction of the duration of PPM prophylactic anticoagulation. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2022 and April 2023 using a self-administered electronic questionnaire on the ‘SurveyMonkey’ platform to gauge international preferences for the use, dose and duration of postpartum anticoagulation . The survey was validated for face and content validity and explored expert preferences across complex PPM scenarios. Physician characteristics, years in practice, specialty and continent of practice were also collected. We employed various methods of dissemination including email, scientific conferences, expert groups, and social media. Results Of the 113 participants that responded to the initial invitation, 78 completed the survey with the following regional distribution: 53.9% from Europe, 23.1% from North America, and 19.0% from Australia and New Zealand. Among the respondents, 60% were haematologists, 20% were general obstetric physicians, and 13% were maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) experts. For prior unprovoked or hormone-associated deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), non-hormone associated provoked DVT/PE, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and splanchnic vein thrombosis, 97.4%, 93.5%, 91.0% and 88.5% of experts selected six weeks of prophylactic anticoagulation with LMWH postpartum compared to 3 weeks or prophylaxis with unfractionated heparin. This practice was also supported by 70.5%, 78.2% and 87.2% of experts in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and high-risk thrombophilia, respectively. For individuals with a history of unprovoked PE/DVT or history of thrombosis at atypical sites (splanchnic thrombosis or CVST) approximately half of the experts (48.7% and 47.4 %) were willing to offer thromboprophylaxis with 3 weeks of LMWH followed by 3 weeks of aspirin, while approximately one-third (34.6% and 32.1%) would consider 3 weeks of LMWH only (Table 1). Respondents managing more than 10 patients per year (p=0.0001), with over 5 years of practice experience (p=0.0004) and specialization in Haematology or MFM demonstrated a greater willingness to explore shorter durations. For scenarios of individuals with SCD, obstetric APS and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), with no history of VTE, a higher percentage of respondents (69.2%, 60.3%, 67.9%) would support 3 weeks of LMWH followed by 3 weeks of aspirin or no anticoagulation PPM (Table 1). For SCD, Haematologists were slightly less supportive (68.1%) than MFM (80%) and obstetric medicine physicians (75%) of shorter durations, although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.45). For MPNs, Haematologists were more supportive of shorter durations (76.6%) than MFMs (60%) and obstetric medicine physicians (50%) (p=0.047). For obstetric APS, there was no significant difference amongst the specialties with respect to explore shorter anticoagulation durations. Conclusion The majority of experts (90%) prescribe a 6 week LMWH regimen for patients with a background of DVT/PE, thrombosis in atypical sites, or high-risk thrombophilias, while fewer adopt this approach for SCD, obstetric APS. Half of the specialists would consider shorter durations of prophylactic anticoagulation PPM for individuals with prior DVT/PE, thrombosis in atypical sites and even more (60-70%) for SCD, obstetric APS and MPNs. Experience and caseload influence acceptance of shorter durations. There is an urgent need for prospective studies addressing peripartum management of anticoagulation such as appropriate type, dosage, initiation timing and duration in different diseases, to provide evidence regarding optimal strategies.

Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections in pregnancy and breastfeeding: a case series and systematic review of the literature

IntroductionAnti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents may occasionally need to be considered for sight-threatening macular pathology in pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is controversial due to the dearth of data on systemic side effects for mother and child. We aimed to expand the evidence base to inform management.MethodsRetrospective case series of pregnant and breastfeeding women treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections at Oxford Eye Hospital between January 2015 and December 2022. In addition, we conducted a systematic review and combined eligible cases in a narrative synthesis.ResultsWe treated six pregnant women with anti-VEGF for diabetic macular oedema(DMO) (n = 5) or choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) (n = 1). Four received ranibizumab whilst two (not known to be pregnant) received aflibercept. Patients known to be pregnant underwent counselling by an obstetric physician. Five pregnancies resulted in live births. Combining our cases with those previously published, treatment of 41 pregnant women (42 pregnancies) are reported. Indications for treatment included CNV (n = 28/41,68%), DMO (n = 7/41,17%) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n = 6/41,15%). Bevacizumab (n = 22/41,54%) and ranibizumab (n = 17/41,41%) were given more frequently than aflibercept (n = 2/41,5%). Many (n = 16/41,40%) were unaware of their pregnancy when treated. Most pregnancies resulted in live births (n = 34/42,81%). First trimester miscarriages (n = 5/42,12%) and stillbirths (n = 3/42,7%) mostly occurred in women with significant risk factors.ConclusionIntravitreal anti-VEGF injections may not necessarily compromise obstetric outcomes, although clear associations cannot be drawn due to small numbers and confounders from high rates of first trimester miscarriages in general and inherently high-risk pregnancies. It may be worth considering routinely investigating pregnancy and breastfeeding status in women of childbearing age prior to each injection, as part of anti-VEGF treatment protocols.

Genetic counseling practices among outpatient obstetric providers in the Northeast

ACOG recommends all pregnant people be offered genetic screening and diagnostic testing regardless of risk factors. Previous studies have demonstrated disparities in referrals for genetic testing by race outside of pregnancy, but little data exists regarding genetic counseling practices during pregnancy. To describe how patient, provider, and practice demographics influence offering diagnostic prenatal genetic testing by outpatient prenatal care providers. This was a multi-center anonymous survey study conducted between October 2021 and March 2022. Outpatient prenatal care providers, including Family Medicine and Obstetric attendings, residents, MFM fellows, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and Midwives, were surveyed about their genetic counseling practices and practice demographics. The primary outcome was the proportion of respondents who answered "Yes - all patients" to the survey question "Do you offer diagnostic genetic testing to all patients". Secondary outcomes included the association between patient and practice demographics and offering diagnostic testing. Diagnostic testing was defined as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis. Screening genetic tests were defined as sequential screen, quadruple screen, cell free DNA screening or "other". Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test were used as appropriate. For the outcome answers of diagnostic testing, logistic regression was performed to assess the association between the answer of diagnostic genetic testing and current training level of providers, race/ethnicities, and insurance status variables. Multivariable analysis was used to adjust for confounders. 635 outpatient prenatal care providers across 7 sites were sent the survey. 419 providers responded for a total response rate of 66%. Of the providers who responded, the majority were attendings (44.9%) followed by residents (37.5%). Providers indicated the race, insurance status, and primary language of their patient population. Screening genetic testing was offered by 98% of providers. Per provider report, 37% offered diagnostic testing to all patients, 18% did not offer it at all, and 44% only offered if certain patient factors were present. 54.8% of attendings reported universally offering diagnostic testing. On univariable analysis, residents were less likely to offer diagnostic testing than attendings (OR 0.18 95% CI 0.11, 0.30). Providers who serve Black/Non-Hispanic, Black/Hispanic, and Other/Hispanic patients were less likely to report offering diagnostic testing compared to other patient populations. Providers who served White/Non-Hispanic were more likely to offer diagnostic testing (OR 2.26 95%CI 1.51-3.39). Patient populations who were primarily privately insured were more likely to be offered diagnostic testing compared to primarily publicly insured patients (OR 6.25 95%CI 3.60-10.85). Providers who served a primarily English-speaking population were more likely to offer diagnostic genetic testing than other patient populations (OR 0.43 95%CI 0.26-0.69). On multivariable analysis, the factors that remained significantly associated with offering diagnostic testing included level of training (resident: OR=0.33 95%CI 0.17-0.62, p=0.0006; APP OR=0.34 95%CI 0.15-0.82, p=0.02), having at least 1/3 of the patient population identify as "other-Hispanic" (OR=0.42 95% CI 0.23-0.77, p= 0.005) and having private as compared to public insurance (primarily private insured OR=2.84 95%CI 1.20-6.74, P=0.02). Although offering genetic screening and diagnostic testing to all patients is recommended, no provider group universally offers diagnostic testing. Providers who serve populations from a racial/ethnic minority, those with public insurance, and those whose primary language is not English are less likely to report universally offering diagnostic genetic testing.

Family-Witnessed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation during Emergency Department Cardiac Arrest Care: A Resident Perspective.

For centuries, an individual’s birth and death most often occurred within their home while surrounded by family. However, with advancements in modern medicine and industrialization, these 2 natural occurrences have been sequestered behind hospital walls. Until the 1960s, fathers were routinely excluded from the delivery room during childbirth. An obstetric physician was quoted as: “…he [father] would faint and fall on the floor and the nurse would have to take care of him... Your infection rate would go up, and your malpractice rate would go up.” 1 Miller J.S. ‘Return the joy of home delivery’ with fathers in the delivery room. Hosp Top. 1966; 44: 105-109https://doi.org/10.1080/00185868.1966.12083087 Crossref PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar Over the past 50 years, a shift toward patient- and family-centric obstetrical care has resulted in the partner’s presence at the bedside being commonplace during delivery. 2 Chan K.K.L. Paterson-Brown S. How do fathers feel after accompanying their partners in labour and delivery?. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002; 22: 11-15https://doi.org/10.1080/01443610120101628 Crossref PubMed Scopus (58) Google Scholar

Reduction of Cesarean Delivery Rates in South Florida: The MSMC Experience [ID: 1370319

INTRODUCTION: Mount Sinai Medical Center (MSMC) in Miami Beach, Florida, is home to a diverse and international obstetric population. In 2017, the state of Florida had a cesarean delivery (CD) rate for nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) of 31.1%, the highest in the nation. Mount Sinai Medical Center had a NTSV CD rate of 38.3%. The national rate of NTSV CD in 2017 was 26%. Mount Sinai Medical Center joined PROVIDE (Promoting Primary Vaginal Deliveries), a statewide initiative by the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative with the goal of improving maternal and newborn outcomes by applying evidence-based interventions and reducing NTSV CD rates. METHODS: The implementation of an obstetrics and gynecology residency program and monthly grand rounds contributed to an effort of evidence-based medicine. The interventions implemented were nurse education of labor positioning from Bundle Births and Spinning Babies, nursing recognition as “Vaginal Queen of the Month,” Bishop score documentation added to H&amp;P, obstetric physicians assigned “Badge Buddies” next to their hospital ID cards disclosing their personal NTSV CD rate, and a pre-cesarean checklist for labor dystocia or failed induction. RESULTS: After 2 years of multifaceted interventions, MSMC had decreased its cesarean delivery rate for NTSV patients from 38.3% in 2017 to 27.7% in 2019. The average rate in Florida overall was 29.7% in 2019 and the national rate of CD in NTSV patients was 25.6% in 2019 (data source: FPQC Perinatal Indicator System). CONCLUSION: With continued interventions, we hypothesize that we will meet the healthy people 2030 target CD for NTSV rate of 23.6% as the initiative enters its sustainability phase.

Claire McLintock, haematologist and obstetric physician.

Claire McLintock, haematologist and obstetric physician.

A novel virtual simulation training improves providers’ knowledge and confidence to manage obstetric emergencies

Maternal mortality in the United States (US) is rising and many deaths are preventable. We sought to determine the efficacy of virtual simulation training to optimize management of obstetric emergencies within low and moderate volume delivery hospitals that are disproportionately affected by adverse maternal outcomes. The educational platform was designed and deployed within urban non-teaching and rural hospitals, with low and moderate delivery volumes, in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-paced, interactive, online didactics on postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were followed by two, 2-hour live virtual simulation trainings and debriefings. In this innovative simulation modality, participants verbalized actions to their co-participants and the simulation faculty as scenarios evolved with images, vitals and videos displayed on a PowerPoint. Participants completed multiple-choice questionnaires and confidence and attitude surveys prior to, immediately after and 3-months post-training. The multiple-choice questions were evidence-based using information from published guidelines and were validated by local experts. Paired t-tests were performed to asses for changes in knowledge and confidence. From December 2021 to March 2022, four hospitals received training (Table 1). Participants (n=22) were comprised of nurses (59%), certified nurse midwives (14%) and attending physicians (23%) in Obstetrics, Family Practice or Anesthesiology. The survey response rate was 59%. The mean difference in knowledge and confidence scores significantly improved immediately post-training compared to baseline (P < 0.05 for all, Table 2). This improvement was maintained 3 months following the training. Participants reported their preferred training format was hybrid (43%), virtual (35.7%) or in-person (21.4%). Virtual obstetric simulation is feasible and improves knowledge and confidence, which can be retained over time. This educational modality is sustainable, scalable and an accessible format to enhance education and training.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)

Knowledge, attitude and practice of resident physicians in gynecology and obstetrics in Pernambuco about contraception

Resumo Introdução: Anticoncepção corresponde ao uso de métodos e técnicas com a finalidade de impedir que o relacionamento sexual resulte em gravidez. O médico residente em ginecologia e obstetrícia deve estar intimamente familiarizado com as múltiplas opções contraceptivas existentes, o modo de uso, os efeitos colaterais e suas contraindicações. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivos identificar o nível de conhecimento, atitude e prática dos médicos residentes de ginecologia e obstetrícia do estado de Pernambuco sobre anticoncepção, determinar sua autopercepção em indicar e contraindicar os métodos contraceptivos, avaliar as melhores indicações clínicas, como prescrevê-los e orientar seu uso. Método: Foi realizado um estudo de inquérito, do tipo corte transversal, com componente analítico. Durante o período de maio a julho de 2022, aplicou-se um questionário à população-alvo, composta pelos médicos residentes de ginecologia e obstetrícia do estado de Pernambuco, e obteve-se um tamanho amostral de 157 respostas, que foram analisadas no programa estatístico Stata, versão 12.0. Resultado: Os métodos contraceptivos mais utilizados por eles foram o ACO, o DIU Mirena, a camisinha peniana e o DIU de cobre. Mais de 90% da amostra afirmou conhecer os critérios de elegibilidade e o índice de Pearl, e pouco mais da metade respondeu corretamente aos casos clínicos sobre contracepção; 52,9% relataram que não faziam uso da dupla proteção, e 40,1% da amostra mencionou que nunca usava camisinha. A maioria dos entrevistados atestou possuir uma boa prática com LARC e com esterilização cirúrgica; uma boa parcela dos residentes entrevistados considerou-se apta a orientar todos os métodos anticoncepcionais. Conclusão: O conhecimento das indicações e contraindicações pode ser considerado satisfatório, apesar de chamar a atenção a presença de uma disparidade entre a autopercepção do saber e os acertos das questões a respeito de casos clínicos específicos. Em relação à atitude, as respostas foram controversas. No âmbito da prática, obtiveram-se os melhores resultados de autopercepção de habilidade, com destaque para a prática com os LARC e a esterilização cirúrgica. As autoavaliações demonstraram que mais da metade da amostra considerou seus conhecimentos, suas atitudes e suas práticas muito satisfatórios e/ou adequados.

Postpartum complications following neuraxial anaesthesia for obstetric physicians.

Neuraxial analgesia and anaesthesia are widely accepted and well-tolerated modes of delivery analgesia, being employed in up to 76% of vaginal deliveries and 94% of caesarean deliveries in the United States.1 A cause of considerable concern for postpartum women, their family and caring health professionals is the occurrence of unexplained postpartum complications, not only for management in the index pregnancy, but the uncertain risk of recurrence in future pregnancies. Complications of neuraxial blocks may impact significantly on the ability of mothers to care for and bond with their newborn. The reported incidence of temporary neurological deficit following obstetric neuraxial blocks is 1 in 3900 procedures, and the risk of permanent neurological harm estimated to be between 1 in 80,000 and 1 in 320,425 procedures.2 Obstetric physicians may be asked to review women with postpartum complications following neuraxial blocks. This article reviews complications that may be seen following neuraxial blocks for delivery.