Amy B. Levine

Contemporary management of a potentially lethal fetal anomaly: a successful perinatal approach to epignathus.

Prenatal diagnosis of epignathus (a teratoma originating in the oropharynx) has been reported previously. However, in many of these cases the neonates succumbed to acute respiratory distress secondary to airway obstruction at the time of birth. We describe a case of antepartum diagnosis of epignathus using ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging as complementary techniques. The ability to accurately define the fetal anomaly permitted us to plan a unique strategy for peripartum management. After cesarean delivery of the infant from the uterus, the umbilical cord was not clamped and the fetoplacental circulation was left undisturbed. A tracheostomy was then performed, after which the umbilical cord was clamped and the infant was stabilized. Several hours later, a debulking procedure was performed in the operating room to remove the tumor from its attachment to the bony palate. Both mother and infant did well postoperatively. The ability to plan and perform a controlled tracheostomy while the infant remained oxygenated and ventilated proved to be lifesaving in this case.

Intraoperative positioning during cesarean as a cause of sciatic neuropathy.

BACKGROUND Sciatic nerve compression has been well documented as a cause of perioperative sciatic neuropathy but rarely during cesarean. CASE A parturient complained of left foot drop after cesarean delivery for twins performed under spinal anesthesia. Intraoperatively, her right hip was raised with padding under the right buttock to tilt the pelvis approximately 30 degrees to the left. Postoperatively, the patient had weakness, sensory changes, and diminished reflexes in the left lower extremity. Electrodiagnostic studies supported a diagnosis of neurapraxia and partial denervation in the distribution of the sciatic nerve. By postpartum week 6, she had full recovery. CONCLUSION Elevating the right buttock during cesarean can cause compression of the underlying structures of the left buttock and result in sciatic neuropathy. Decreasing the duration of time the patient is in the left lateral position may reduce the risk of this uncommon but debilitating complication.

Using the Rapid HIV Test to Rescreen Women in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy in HIV-infected women has dramatically reduced the rate of mother to child HIV transmission in the United States. National guidelines strongly recommend universal HIV testing of all pregnant women with repeat screening in the third-trimester in high-risk populations. To determine patient attitudes towards third-trimester rescreening, a convenience sample was recruited during routine prenatal visits at an urban clinic and participants were surveyed to determine attitudes about HIV third-trimester retesting, acceptability of the rapid HIV testing, condom use, and knowledge of partners HIV status during pregnancy. Participants were offered a third-trimester rapid HIV retest with the option to decline the test. Eighty pregnant women participated; 95% agreed to be retested with a rapid HIV test, 100% received immediate HIV results, and 91% reported that the rapid test was less stressful than conventional testing. There were no seroconversions. Although 35% did not know their partners HIV status, 57% of these women reported never using condoms during pregnancy. There was a significant association between reported stage of behavior change and reported likelihood of using condoms. We found that rescreening with the rapid HIV test in the third trimester of pregnancy was well accepted and is important to prevent perinatal HIV transmission.