Lunthita Duthely

Excessive weight gain among obese women and pregnancy outcomes.

We evaluated pregnancy outcomes in obese women with excessive weight gain during pregnancy. A retrospective study was performed on all obese women. Outcomes included rates of preeclampsia (PEC), gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery (CD), preterm delivery, low birth weight, very low birth weight, macrosomia, 5-minute Apgar score of <7, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and were stratified by body mass index (BMI) groups class I (BMI 30 to 35.9 kg/m(2)), class II (36 to 39.9 kg/m(2)), and class III (>or=40 kg/m(2)). Gestational weight change was abstracted from the mothers medical chart and was divided into four categories: weight loss, weight gain of up to 14.9 pounds, weight gain of 15 to 24.9 pounds, and weight gain of more than 25 pounds. A total 20,823 obese women were eligible for the study. Univariate analysis revealed higher rates of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, Cesarean deliveries, preterm deliveries, low birth weight, macrosomia, and NICU admission in class II and class III obese women when compared with class I women. When different patterns of weight gain were used as in the logistic regression model, rates of PEC and CD were increased. Excessive weight gain among obese women is associated with adverse outcomes with a higher risk as BMI increases.

Duration of membrane rupture and risk of perinatal transmission of HIV-1 in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine whether the duration of membrane rupture of 4 or more hours is a significant risk factor for perinatal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study of 717 HIV-infected pregnant women-infant pairs with a delivery viral load available who received prenatal care and delivered at our institution during the interval 1996-2008. RESULTS The cohort comprised 707 women receiving ART who delivered during this interval. The perinatal transmission rate was 1% in women with membranes ruptured for less than 4 hours and 1.9% when ruptured for 4 or more hours. For 493 women with a delivery viral load less than 1000 copies/mL receiving combination ART in pregnancy, there were no cases of perinatal transmission identified up to 25 hours of membrane rupture. Logistic regression demonstrated only a viral load above 10,000 copies/mL as an independent risk factor for perinatal transmission. CONCLUSION Duration of membrane rupture of 4 or more hours is not a risk factor for perinatal transmission of HIV in women with a viral load less than 1000 copies/mL receiving combination ART.

Echogenic endometrial fluid collection in postmenopausal women is a significant risk factor for disease

The purpose of this study was to assess postmenopausal women with endometrial fluid collection and the risk of significant endometrial or cervical disease.

Prenatal and Mental Health Care Among Trauma-Exposed, HIV-Infected, Pregnant Women in the United States

&NA; Comprehensive prenatal care for HIV‐infected women in the United States involves addressing mental health needs. Retrospective quantitative data are presented from HIV‐infected pregnant women (n = 45) who reported childhood sexual or physical abuse (66%), abuse in adulthood by a sexual partner (25%), and abuse during pregnancy (10%). Depression and anxiety were the most commonly reported psychological symptoms; more than half of the sample reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including HIV‐related PTSD (PTSD‐HIV). There was a strong association between depression and PTSD as well as between anxiety and PTSD‐HIV. The majority of infants received zidovudine at birth and continued the recommended regimen. All but one infant were determined to be noninfected. Women improved their CD4+ T cell counts and HIV RNA viral loads while in prenatal care. Results support the need for targeted prenatal programs to address depression, anxiety, substance use, and trauma in HIV‐infected women.

Integrase inhibitors in late pregnancy and rapid HIV viral load reduction

BACKGROUND Minimizing time to HIV viral suppression is critical in pregnancy. Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), like raltegravir, are known to rapidly suppress plasma HIV RNA in nonpregnant adults. There are limited data in pregnant women. OBJECTIVE We describe time to clinically relevant reduction in HIV RNA in pregnant women using INSTI-containing and non-INSTI-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) options. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant HIV-infected women in the United States from 2009 through 2015. We included women who initiated ART, intensified their regimen, or switched to a new regimen due to detectable viremia (HIV RNA >40 copies/mL) at ≥20 weeks gestation. Among women with a baseline HIV RNA permitting 1-log reduction, we estimated time to 1-log RNA reduction using the Kaplan-Meier estimator comparing women starting/adding an INSTI in their regimen vs other ART. To compare groups with similar follow-up time, we also conducted a subgroup analysis limited to women with ≤14 days between baseline and follow-up RNA data. RESULTS This study describes 101 HIV-infected pregnant women from 11 US clinics. In all, 75% (76/101) of women were not taking ART at baseline; 24 were taking non-INSTI containing ART, and 1 received zidovudine monotherapy. In all, 39% (39/101) of women started an INSTI-containing regimen or added an INSTI to their ART regimen. Among 90 women with a baseline HIV RNA permitting 1-log reduction, the median time to 1-log RNA reduction was 8 days (interquartile range [IQR], 7-14) in the INSTI group vs 35 days (IQR, 20-53) in the non-INSTI ART group (P < .01). In a subgroup of 39 women with first and last RNA measurements ≤14 days apart, median time to 1-log reduction was 7 days (IQR, 6-10) in the INSTI group vs 11 days (IQR, 10-14) in the non-INSTI group (P < .01). CONCLUSION ART that includes INSTIs appears to induce more rapid viral suppression than other ART regimens in pregnancy. Inclusion of an INSTI may play a role in optimal reduction of HIV RNA for HIV-infected pregnant women presenting late to care or failing initial therapy. Larger studies are urgently needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of this approach.

Reframing physician engagement: An analysis of physician resilience, grit, and retention

ABSTRACT From 2011 to 2014, overall physician burnout rates in the United States increased by 10%, with specialty-specific burnout rates ranging from 37% to 61%. Physician turnover creates financial burdens for healthcare organizations, sabotages patient safety, disrupts continuity of patient care, and undermines institutional profitability. Grit has emerged as a more reliable and accurate predictor of retention than intelligence, physical aptitude, personality traits, or job tenure and represents a promising lens for identifying opportunities to strengthen physician engagement and retention and promote the culture of safety requisite to quality healthcare. Innovative institutional, departmental, and leadership initiatives promoting resilience, engagement, and Grit may effectively mitigate social, economic, and cultural factors contributing to physician burnout. This meta-analysis identifies interrelationships between physician engagement, job satisfaction, and burnout as components of resilience and Grit and recommends operational strategies to improve physician retention.

Women Living with HIV over Age of 65: Cervical Cancer Screening in a Unique and Growing Population

Objective Women living with HIV are at increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can lead to cervical cancer. New guidelines recommend indefinite screening. The objective of this study is to describe cervical cancer screening practices and colposcopy results in a cohort of women living with HIV over age of 65 who were followed before the new guidelines. Comorbidities, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other risk factors were evaluated. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review on 75 women aged 65 or older living with HIV with at least one Pap smear. Results The mean age of the cohort was 66.5 and at HIV diagnosis was 56. The majority of women were immunocompetent. 80% had serial Pap smears. Of these, 86% of 238 were negative or ASCUS. No women progressed to HSIL. 92% of colposcopies had negative or CIN I results. Three women were treated successfully for high-grade dysplasia. More than half of women had other STIs. 72% were screened for HPV; 50% were positive. Conclusion The majority of women had negative and low-grade Pap smears. Questions remain regarding the utility of continued Pap screening and the added value of HPV testing in this unique population of older women living with HIV.

Bridging the gaps between the histopathological and demographic risk factors of preterm birth in a unique Miami inner-city population.

We aim to identify the link between placental histological findings and obstetric reports to determine possible risk factors of spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). We prospectively ascertained birth records and outcomes from all deliveries in our hospital in 1 year. Records were used to determine and stratify for either full-term or preterm [spontaneous or indicated (I)] deliveries. We analyzed for risk factor association using χ2 tests and common odds ratio estimates (SPSS v21.0). Our cohort totaled 6088 deliveries: 236 IPTB, 43 SPTB, and 5809 term births. Largely Hispanic, we determined race, parity, prenatal care access, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and BMI to be highly associated with SPTB (p < 0.01). Histologically, placentas of women with SPTB were twice as likely to have chronic villitis. We found that chronic villitis is associated with SPTB. Results of this study can be used in increasing the understanding of SPTB.