Lisa C. Zuckerwise

Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Are the Criteria Proposed by the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups Cost-Effective?

OBJECTIVE The International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) recently recommended new criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study was undertaken to determine whether adopting the IADPSG criteria would be cost-effective, compared with the current standard of care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We developed a decision analysis model comparing the cost-utility of three strategies to identify GDM: 1) no screening, 2) current screening practice (1-h 50-g glucose challenge test between 24 and 28 weeks followed by 3-h 100-g glucose tolerance test when indicated), or 3) screening practice proposed by the IADPSG. Assumptions included that 1) women diagnosed with GDM received additional prenatal monitoring, mitigating the risks of preeclampsia, shoulder dystocia, and birth injury; and 2) GDM women had opportunity for intensive postdelivery counseling and behavior modification to reduce future diabetes risks. The primary outcome measure was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). RESULTS Our model demonstrates that the IADPSG recommendations are cost-effective only when postdelivery care reduces diabetes incidence. For every 100,000 women screened, 6,178 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) are gained, at a cost of

Use of a novel visual aid to improve estimation of obstetric blood loss.

125,633,826. The ICER for the IADPSG strategy compared with the current standard was

Postdischarge Opioid Use After Cesarean Delivery

20,336 per QALY gained. When postdelivery care was not accomplished, the IADPSG strategy was no longer cost-effective. These results were robust in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS The IADPSG recommendation for glucose screening in pregnancy is cost-effective. The model is most sensitive to the likelihood of preventing future diabetes in patients identified with GDM using postdelivery counseling and intervention.

H19 long noncoding RNA alters trophoblast cell migration and invasion by regulating TβR3 in placentae with fetal growth restriction

OBJECTIVE: Visual estimation of blood loss is often inaccurate and imprecise. Obstetric bleeding requires expedient identification and intervention to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality. We aimed to create a visual aid to improve accuracy of estimated obstetric blood loss. METHODS: We designed a pocket card containing images of blood on common obstetric materials to serve as a visual aid. We created six stations with known volumes of artificial blood using materials from standard delivery kits. Obstetric providers recorded visually estimated blood loss across a variety of volumes and materials before and after receiving our visual aid. We assessed the effects of blood volume, clinical role, and years of experience on accuracy of estimation. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one participants assessed six stations. We categorized participants by percent error of estimated blood loss before and after receiving our visual aid. We found a significant improvement in accurate assessments for all provider types after intervention across four of the six volumes (P<.001). In a posttest survey, 90% of participants (n=136) reported subjective improvement in estimation ability. Provider type affected accuracy before intervention in two of six stations (P=.01 and P=.03). This difference persisted in one station after intervention (P<.01). Years of experience did not correlate with accuracy of blood volume estimation in five of six stations (P>.05). CONCLUSION: A visual aid depicting known volumes of blood on obstetric materials can improve accuracy of blood volume estimation among obstetric providers of varying types and with varying years of experience. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

Pregestational diabetes with extreme insulin resistance: use of U-500 insulin in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE To characterize postdischarge opioid use and examine factors associated with variation in opioid prescribing and consumption. METHODS We conducted a prospective observational cohort study by recruiting all women undergoing cesarean delivery during an 8-week period, excluding those with major postoperative morbidities or chronic opioid use. Starting on postoperative day 14, women were queried weekly regarding number of opioid pills used, amount remaining, and their pain experience until they had stopped opioid medication. Demographic and delivery information and in-hospital opioid use were recorded. The state Substance Monitoring Program was accessed to ascertain prescription-filling details. Morphine milligram equivalents were calculated to perform opioid use comparisons. Women in the highest quartile of opioid use (top opioid quartile use) were compared with those in the lowest three quartiles (average opioid use). RESULTS Of 251 eligible patients, 246 (98%) agreed to participate. Complete follow-up data were available for 179 (71% of eligible). Most women (83%) used opioids after discharge for a median of 8 days (interquartile range 6-13 days). Of women who filled their prescriptions (165 [92%]), 75% had unused tablets (median per person 75 morphine milligram equivalents, interquartile range 0-187, maximum 630) and the majority (63%) stored tablets in an unlocked location. This amounts to an equivalent of 2,540 unused 5-mg oxycodone tablets over our study period. Women who used all prescribed opioids (n=40 [22%]) were more likely to report that they received too few tablets than women who used some (n=109 [61%]) or none (n=30 [17%]) of the prescribed opioids (33% compared with 4% compared with 5%, P<.001). The top quartile was more likely to be smokers than average users and consumed more opioid morphine milligram equivalents per hour of inpatient stay than average opioid users (1.6, interquartile range 1.1-2.3 compared with 1.0, interquartile range 0.5-1.4, P<.001). CONCLUSION Most women-especially those with normal in-hospital opioid use-are prescribed opioids in excess of the amount needed.

Uterine dehiscence in early second trimester.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a well-recognized risk factor for perinatal mortality and morbidity, as well as neurodevelopmental impairment and adulthood onset disorders. Here we report that the H19 long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is significantly decreased in placentae from pregnancies with FGR. Downregulation of H19 leads to reduced migration and invasion of extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells in vitro. This is consistent with reduced trophoblast invasion that has been observed in FGR. Genome-scale transcriptome profiling of EVT cells reveals significantly decreased expression of the type III TGF-β receptor (TβR3) following H19 knockdown. Decreased TβR3 expression is also seen in FGR placentae. TβR3 repression decreases EVT cell migration and invasion, owing to impaired TGF-β signaling through a non-canonical TGF-β signaling pathway. Further, we identify TβR3 as a novel regulatory target of microRNA let-7. We propose that dysregulation of this newly identified H19/TβR3-mediated regulatory pathway may contribute to the molecular mechanism of FGR. Our findings are the first to show a lncRNA-based mechanism of FGR, holding promise for the development of novel predictive, diagnostic, and therapeutic modalities for FGR.

Maternal early warning systems—Towards reducing preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity through improved clinical surveillance and responsiveness

BACKGROUND: Increased insulin requirements in pregnancy can hinder attainment of glycemic control in diabetic patients. U-500 insulin is a concentrated form of regular insulin that can be a valuable tool in the treatment of patients with severe insulin resistance. CASE: A 24-year-old woman with pregestational diabetes mellitus experienced increasing insulin requirements during pregnancy, peaking at 650 units daily. The frequent, large-volume injections of standard-concentration insulin were poorly tolerated by the patient and resulted in nonadherence. She subsequently achieved glycemic control on thrice-daily U-500 insulin. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy exacerbates insulin resistance in diabetic patients, and these patients may require high doses of insulin. U-500 insulin is an effective alternative for patients with severe insulin resistance and should be considered for pregnant women with difficulty achieving glycemic control.

Postpartum Tubal Sterilization: Making the Case for Urgency

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of uterine dehiscence in the early second trimester by ultrasonography is rare and its effect on pregnancy outcome is unclear. CASE: An asymptomatic woman presented for anatomy survey in the 19th week of pregnancy. Uterine dehiscence at the site of previous hysterotomy was diagnosed by ultrasound scan. She was admitted to the hospital for expectant management and eventually opted for termination of pregnancy in the 22nd week of pregnancy. Termination was performed by classical hysterotomy without any complications. CONCLUSION: Given the increasing cesarean delivery rate and improvements in ultrasound technology, obstetricians should expect to face the management dilemma of antenatally diagnosed uterine dehiscence. The risks of expectant management compared with termination remain theoretical, and timing of delivery and methods of termination are important questions to consider.

Effect of Implementing a Standardized Shoulder Dystocia Documentation Form on Quality of Delivery Notes

Despite increasing awareness of obstetric safety initiatives, maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States have continued to increase over the past 20 years. Since results from large-scale surveillance programs suggest that up to 50% of maternal deaths may be preventable, new efforts are focused on developing and testing early warning systems for the obstetric population. Early warning systems are a set of specific clinical signs or symptoms that trigger the awareness of risk and an urgent patient evaluation, with the goal of reducing severe morbidity and mortality through timely diagnosis and treatment. Early warning systems have proven effective at predicting and reducing mortality and severe morbidity in medical, surgical, and critical care patient populations; however, there has been limited research on how to adapt these tools for use in the obstetric population, where physiologic changes of pregnancy render them inadequate. In this article, we review the available obstetric early warning systems and present evidence for their use in reducing maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. We also discuss considerations and strategies for implementation and acceptance of these early warning systems for clinical use in obstetrics.