Ainharan Raveendran

Severe anaemia in pregnancy: A tertiary hospital experience from northern India

Anaemia is a major health problem among woman of reproductive age group, particularly in developing countries. We undertook this study to determine the maternal and perinatal outcome in patients with severe anaemia in pregnancy, with a haemoglobin concentration of <7 g/dl. The in-hospital data were analysed for 12 months between January 2007 and December 2007 and 2.15% (n = 96) of women were found to have severe anaemia. Out of these, 18.75% had pre-term premature rupture of membranes and 5.12% of all deliveries were pre-term. Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy were seen in 17.7%; abruption in 3.12% and 9.37% had congestive cardiac failure. Postpartum haemorrhage was seen in 25.5% of the patients and 8.33% had puerperal pyrexia. Fetal distress was seen in 26% of and 33.33% had small for gestational age neonates; there were 16.66% stillbirths and 4.16% neonatal deaths. Of the 96 severely anaemic women, six died after admission. Our study shows that efforts must be taken towards safe motherhood and spreading awareness about the various consequences of anaemia, which is usually preventable with early correction.

Prevalence and related risk factors of osteoporosis in peri- and postmenopausal Indian women

Aim: We undertook this study involving 200 peri- and postmenopausal women to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis, and in turn increase the awareness, education, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis. Setting and Design: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, UT Chandigarh, India, and a clinical study. Materials and Methods: A detailed medical, obstetrical, menstrual, and drug history was recorded in a proforma designated for the study. Height and weight was measured, weight-bearing exercise was assessed, and sunlight exposure per day for each woman was recorded. Food intake was estimated by using the 24-hour dietary recall method, and calcium and vitamin D consumption pattern was assessed. Bone mineral density (BMD) at postero-anterior lumbar spine and dual femurs was assessed by densitometer. Women were classified according to the WHO criteria. Statistical Analysis Used: Students t-test, multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of low BMD was found in more than half of this population (53%). The mean age in group I (normal BMD) was found to be 50.56 ± 5.74 years as compared to 52.50 ± 5.94 in group II with low BMD (P=0.02). The two groups were similar with respect to parity, education, socioeconomic status, family history of osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy, and thyroid disorders. 46.8% of the women in group I and 33% of the women in group II had low physical activity and there was no statistically significant difference in sunlight exposure between the groups. Parity or the number of children and type of menopause was not seen to have much association with low BMD in our study. Lack of exercise and low calcium diet were significantly associated with low BMD. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age, exercise, menopause, and low calcium diet acted as significant predictors of low bone density. Conclusion: The findings from the study suggest the need for large community-based studies so that high-risk population can be picked up and early interventions and other life style changes can be instituted if there is delay in implementing national or international health strategies to tackle this increasing global health problem. Strategies to identify and manage low BMD in the primary care setting need to be established and implemented.

Pseudoaneurysm of Uterine Artery: A Rare Cause of Secondary Postpartum Hemorrhage, Managed with Uterine Artery Embolisation

Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare cause of secondary postpartum hemorrhage but is potentially life-threatening and can occur after caesarean section (c-section) or a hysterectomy. A 28-year-old woman who developed secondary postpartum hemorrhage after c-section was diagnosed to have pseudoaneurysm from the left uterine artery on ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) scan. She was treated with coiling of the pseudoaneurysm with stainless steel coil via selective catheterization of the uterine artery. The procedure was uneventful and the pseudoaneurysm was successfully obliterated. Angiographic embolization is a safe and effective method for treating postpartum hemorrhage due to pseudoaneurysm in hemodynamically stable patients. Therefore, it should be considered as a treatment option before resorting to surgery, in appropriately selected cases.

Extra hepatic portal vein obstruction and pregnancy outcome: Largest reported experience

Aim:  Evaluate pregnancy outcome in women with extra hepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO).

Risk factors for early onset severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia among north Indian women

Summary A case–control study was conducted in India between April 2007 and January 2008, to identify the clinical and historical risk factors associated with early onset pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (PE-E) in women attending a tertiary care hospital in North India. The study group comprised 100 women with early onset severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (≤34 weeks) and a control group of 100 women with mild non-proteinuric hypertension (>34 weeks). A detailed history including past, personal and family history, pregnancy outcome including delivery details and perinatal outcome and available investigations were recorded in a pre-designed proforma. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for pre-eclampsia. The risk factors that were associated with increased risk of early onset severe PE-E were: history of PE-E in a previous pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 71.40); exposure to passive smoking (aOR 16.40); inadequate antenatal supervision (aOR 15.21); family history of hypertension in one or more 1st-degree relative (aOR 8.92); living in a joint family (aOR 6.93); overweight (>120% to 150% of pre-pregnancy ideal body weight, aOR 4.65) and lower socioeconomic class (Kuppuswamy’s class III–V) (aOR 3.00). Based on the above risk factors, a risk model can be constituted as practised in other places and implemented in the primary preventive measure of early-onset severe pre-eclampsia among the North Indian women attending this tertiary care hospital.

Descriptive study of blood transfusion practices in women undergoing cesarean delivery

Aim:  To study the blood transfusion practices in women undergoing cesarean delivery at a tertiary care centre in northern India.

Phaeochromocytoma in pregnancy can mimic severe hypertensive disorders

Introduction Phaeochromocytoma is oft en overlooked in pregnancy due to its rarity and because the clinical picture can resemble that of preeclampsia. An unrecognised phaeochromocytoma is particularly dangerous as a fatal hypertensive crisis can be precipitated by anaesthesia, vaginal delivery, mechanical eff ects on the growing gravid uterus, abdominal palpation, uterine contractions and by vigorous fetal movements. We report two cases of phaeochromocytoma complicating the index pregnancy and recurrent pre-eclampsia in subsequent pregnancies.

Advanced germ cell malignancies of the ovary: should neo-adjuvant chemotherapy be the first line of treatment?

Malignant germ cell tumours of the ovary, though classically known for ‘young age’ and ‘early stage’ at presentation, are not uncommonly identified at advanced stages. Little is available in literature on the role of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in this group of tumours. Two patients with advanced stage ovarian germ cell tumours, including one with 45XO/46XY chromosomal mosaicism, were treated at our Institute with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy with Bleomycin, Etoposide and Cisplatin followed by surgery. Besides marked clinical improvement, intraoperatively both the patients presented no difficulty otherwise expected with widespread tumours, and histopathology report revealed no evidence of viable tumour. The article discusses the experience and suggested course of management of these tumours with NACT, which could be offered to patients with advanced malignancy in whom high surgical morbidity is anticipated or in whom only an operative biopsy was performed at laparatomy. Behaviour and management guidelines of dysgenetic gonads with XY mosaicism have also been discussed.

Second trimester abortion in women with and without previous uterine scar: Eleven years experience from a developing country.

ABSTRACT Objectives To study the safety of second trimester abortion in women with previous uterine scar. Methods We screened the records of 518 women who underwent an abortion between 12 and 20 weeks’ gestation at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, from January 2000 to December 2010. Methods used for abortion were: (i) vaginal misoprostol with or without pre-treatment with mifepristone, and (ii) intracervical dinoprostol gel or vaginal misoprostol ± extra-amniotic saline ± oxytocin infusion. Seventeen women, aborted by means of a hysterotomy, were excluded from further analysis. Results Of the remaining 501 women, 44 had a uterine scar (Group 1) and 457 had none (Group 2). In Group 1, 40/44 (91%) and in Group 2, 452/457 (99%) women aborted successfully. The mean induction-abortion interval (IAI) was similar in the two groups (15.03 ± 10.69 hours and 12.52 ± 9.0 hours in Groups 1 and 2, respectively; p = 0.083). There were three uterine ruptures, 1/44 (2%) in group 1 and 2/457 (0.4%) in group 2 (p = 0.132, NS); all three women had received mifepristone followed by vaginal misoprostol. Conclusion In women with a scarred uterus, midtrimester abortion may be successfully achieved using any of the aforementioned regimens.

Response to comments on: Rohilla M, Raveendran A, Dhaliwal LK, Chopra S. 2010. Severe anaemia in pregnancy: a tertiary hospital experience from northern India. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 30:694–696

We appreciate the comments and concerns that our paper has sti mulated and are pleased to respond to the constructive comments of Professor Ishag Adam. Prevalence of anaemia in India is among the highest in the world. We undertook this study to find whether severe anaemia is an independent predictor of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in pregnancy and the outcomes were compared with the overall hospital maternal data (Rohilla et al. 2010). We agree that malaria during pregnancy is a recognised risk factor for maternal and fetal complications and it is endemic in certain areas of India (Seal et al. 2010). In all the 96 women, peri pheral blood film was done and none showed the presence of a malarial parasite and moreover, studies from India had related low socioeconomic status, low educational attainment and poor health-seeking behaviour of these women as a risk factor contribu ting to the high prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy, and none attributed it to malaria (Swami et al. 1998; Noronha et al. 2010; Rohilla et al. 2010.). Th e 3-fold increase in the incidence of pre-eclampsia is our observation and we attribute it to maternal vascular dysfunction, which is also implicated in intrauterine fetal growth restriction (Steer 2000). Current data indicate that iron defi ciency anaemia is a risk factor for pre-term delivery, low birth weight and neonatal anaemia. Anaemia remains a huge health problem and preventing or reducing the impact of it remains a goal and challenge.