Rebecca J. Mercier

Pregnancy intention and postpartum depression: secondary data analysis from a prospective cohort

To assess the relationship between unintended pregnancy and postpartum depression.

Intrauterine Anesthesia for Gynecologic Procedures: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of intrauterine local anesthesia in reducing pain associated with outpatient gynecologic procedures. DATA SOURCES: We searched online databases PubMed or MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov and hand-searched reference lists from reviews evaluating pain-control methods for gynecologic office procedures. We identified randomized controlled trials using intrauterine local anesthetic in gynecologic procedures. METHODS: Titles and abstracts were screened for 1,236 articles. We identified 45 potential articles for inclusion. We excluded 22 of these studies because: 1) they were not randomized controlled trials; 2) they did not describe a quantifiable dose of medication used in the study; 3) they did not investigate an intrauterine anesthetic; 4) they did not study a potentially awake, outpatient procedure; and 5) they did not clearly report results or represented duplicate publication. Twenty-three articles were ultimately included for review. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Two authors independently reviewed full search results and assessed eligibility for inclusion and independently abstracted data from all articles that met criteria for inclusion. Disagreements regarding eligibility or abstraction data were adjudicated by a third independent person. Our primary end point was the reported effect of intrauterine local anesthesia on patient-reported pain scores. As a result of heterogeneity in study methods, outcome measures, and reporting of outcomes, results could not be combined in a meta-analysis. Good evidence supports use of intrauterine anesthesia in endometrial biopsy and curettage, because five good-quality studies reported reduced pain scores, whereas only one good-quality study reported negative results. We found moderate evidence to support intrauterine anesthesia in hysteroscopy, because one good-quality study and two fair or poor quality studies reported reduced pain scores, whereas two good-quality studies had negative results. Good evidence suggests that intrauterine anesthesia is not effective in hysterosalpingography; three good-quality studies reported that pain scores were not reduced, and no good quality studies showed a beneficial effect in that procedure. Evidence was insufficient concerning first-trimester abortion, saline-infusion ultrasonogram, tubal sterilization, and intrauterine device insertion. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine local anesthesia can reduce pain in several gynecologic procedures including endometrial biopsy, curettage, and hysteroscopy and may be effective in other procedures as well.

The experiences and adaptations of abortion providers practicing under a new TRAP law: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE Abortion laws are proliferating in the United States, but little is known about their impact on abortion providers. In 2011, North Carolina instituted the Womans Right to Know (WRTK) Act, which mandates a 24-h waiting period and counseling with state-prescribed information prior to abortion. We performed a qualitative study to explore the experiences of abortion providers practicing under this law. STUDY DESIGN We conducted semistructured interviews with 31 abortion providers (17 physicians, 9 nurses, 1 physician assistant, 1 counselor and 3 clinic administrators) in North Carolina. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. We identified emergent themes, coded all transcripts and developed a thematic framework. RESULTS Two major themes define provider experiences with the WRTK law: provider objections/challenges and provider adaptations. Most providers described the law in negative terms, though providers varied in the extent to which they were affected. Many providers described extensive alterations in clinic practices to balance compliance with minimization of burdens for patients. Providers indicated that biased language and inappropriate content in counseling can negatively impact the patient-physician relationship by interfering with trust and rapport. Most providers developed verbal strategies to mitigate the emotional impacts for patients. CONCLUSIONS Abortion providers in North Carolina perceive WRTK to have a negative impact on their clinical practice. Compliance is burdensome, and providers perceive potential harm to patients. The overall impact of WRTK is shaped by interaction between the requirements of the law and the adaptations providers make in order to comply with the law while continuing to provide comprehensive abortion care. IMPLICATIONS Laws like WRTK are burdensome for providers. Providers adapt their clinical practices not only to comply with laws but also to minimize the emotional and practical impacts on patients. The effects on providers, frequently not a central consideration, should be considered in ongoing debates regarding abortion regulation.

Reframing Conscientious Care: Providing Abortion Care When Law and Conscience Collide.

Much of the debate on conscience has addressed the ethics of refusal: the rights of providers to refuse to perform procedures to which they object and the interests of the patients who might be harmed by their refusals. But conscience can also be a positive force, grounding decision about offering care.

TRAP laws and the invisible labor of US abortion providers

Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP laws) are proliferating in the United States and have increased barriers to abortion access. In order to comply with these laws, abortion providers make significant changes to facilities and clinical practices. In this article, we draw attention to an often unacknowledged area of public health threat: how providers adapt to increasing regulation and the resultant strains on the abortion provider workforce. Current US legal standards for abortion regulations have led to an increase in laws that target abortion providers. We describe recent research with abortion providers in North Carolina to illustrate how providers adapt to new regulations, and how compliance with regulation leads to increased workload and increased financial and emotional burdens on providers. We use the concept of invisible labor to highlight the critical work undertaken by abortion providers not only to comply with regulations, but also to minimize the burden that new laws impose on patients. This labor provides a crucial bridge in the preservation of abortion access. The impact of TRAP laws on abortion providers should be included in the consideration of the public health impact of abortion laws.

“Prefacing the Script” as an ethical response to state-mandated abortion counseling

Abstract Background: Laws governing abortion provision are proliferating throughout the United States, yet little is known about how these laws affect providers. We investigated the experiences of abortion providers in North Carolina practicing under the 2011 Womans Right to Know Act, which mandates that women receive counseling with specific, state-prescribed information at least 24 hours prior to an abortion. We focus here on a subset of the data to examine one strategy by which providers worked to minimize moral conflicts generated by the counseling procedure. Drawing on Erving Goffmans work on language and social interaction, we highlight how providers communicated moral objections and layered meanings through a practice that we call prefacing the script. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 31 physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and clinic managers who provide abortion care in North Carolina. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an inductive, iterative analytic approach, which included reading for context, interpretive memo-writing, and focused coding. Results: Roughly half of the participants (14/31) reported that they or the clinicians who performed the counseling in their institution routinely prefaced the counseling script with qualifiers, disclaimers, and apologies that clarified their relationship to the state-mandated content. We identified three performative functions of this practice: (1) enacting a frame shift from a medical to a legal interaction; (2) distancing the speaker from the authorial voice of the counseling script; and (3) creating emotional alignment. Conclusions: Prefacing state-mandated abortion counseling scripts constitutes a practical strategy providers use to balance the obligation to comply with state law with personal and professional responsibilities to provide tailored care, provide emotional support, and serve the patients best interests. Our findings suggest that language constitutes a powerful resource for navigating and minimizing moral conflicts in health care.

Intrauterine lidocaine for pain control during laminaria insertion: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine if intrauterine administration of 5 cc of 2% lidocaine in addition to paracervical block reduces pain during laminaria insertion, when compared with paracervical block and saline placebo. STUDY DESIGN This was a randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial. Women presenting for abortion by dilation and evacuation (D&E) at 14-24 weeks gestational age were randomized to receive an intrauterine instillation of either 5 mL of 2% lidocaine or 5 mL of normal saline, in addition to standard paracervical block with 20 cc of 0.25% bupivacaine. Our primary outcome was self-reported pain scores on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) immediately following laminaria insertion. Secondary outcome was self-reported VAS pain score indicating the maximum level of pain experienced during the 24-48-h interval between laminaria insertion and D&E procedure. RESULTS Seventy-two women were enrolled, and data for 67 women were analyzed, only two of whom were more than 21 weeks on gestation. The range of pain scores at both time points was large (1-90 mm at laminaria insertion; 0-100mm in laminaria-D&E interval). Mean pain scores were not different between treatment groups at laminaria insertion, (33 vs. 32, p=.8) or in the laminaria - D&E interval (43 vs. 44, p=.9). CONCLUSION Intrauterine administration of 5 cc of 2% lidocaine in addition to paracervical block did not reduce pain with laminaria insertion when compared to paracervical block with saline placebo. IMPLICATIONS Intrauterine lidocaine combined with paracervical block does not improve pain control at laminaria insertion when compared with paracervical block and saline placebo. Wide variation in pain scores and persistent pain after laminaria insertion suggests patient would benefit from more effective methods of pain control at laminaria insertion and during the post-laminaria interval.

Potentially avoidable inter-hospital transfer for gynaecology consultation at a tertiary care centre: a retrospective study

Abstract Inter-hospital transfers for consultation are common and costly in the USA. Our objective was to evaluate the inter-hospital transfers between the emergency departments (ED) for a gynaecology consultation and to identify markers for potentially avoidable transfers. We performed a retrospective chart review of all transfers accepted by a tertiary care hospital gynaecology service via the ED over two years. Our primary outcome was the designation of the transfer as ‘potentially avoidable’, defined as a patient discharged home directly from the ED, with no workup or treatment prior to their discharge. The Chi-square tests were used to assess what patient characteristics and medical diagnoses are associated with potentially avoidable transfers. Of 156 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, a total of 38 (24.4%) were potentially avoidable transfers. Women with potentially avoidable transfers were more likely to be pregnant than those whose transfers were necessary (63.2% vs. 40.7% p = .02), and more likely to specifically have a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) or a complete abortion (p < .01). Impact statement What is already known on this subject? In the USA, the emergency department is a common site for the evaluation of women with primary gynaecologic complaints. Many hospitals lack a specialist consultation, and obtaining a consultation may require the inter-hospital transfer of patients. Inter-hospital transfers overall cost more than a billion US dollars per year, and the gynaecologic care of women may account for a significant portion of this cost. There is scant data describing the most common diagnoses that lead to the transfer of women with gynaecologic complaints; a better understanding of the patterns in this area could assist in designing more cost-effective and convenient models of care. What do the results of this study add? Our study confirms the pre-existing clinical impression, which previously had not been quantified, that many women who are transferred for gynaecologic consultation are stable, and these transfers may be avoidable. We demonstrate that women with a pregnancy of an unknown location and with a complete abortion are frequent candidates for avoiding a transfer. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or future research? Providers should feel confident in considering a remote or telemedicine consultation for women seeking care in the ED for these common conditions. Future research may focus on the longitudinal follow-up of such systems to demonstrate the patient safety outcomes and patient and provider satisfactions.

Identifying Risk Factors for Not Breastfeeding: The Interaction of Race and Economic Factors: A Case for Seeking a Local Perspective

Breastfeeding rates in the United States continue to rise, but still fall short of goals for both initiation and continuation. Many different maternal demographic characteristics have been identified as risk factors for not breastfeeding, but the literature remains inconsistent. National and even state-level data may not reflect patterns seen at the local level. Clinicians and breastfeeding advocates should be aware of the general trends, but should more importantly become familiar with the predominant risk patterns in their local area and populations. This presentation for the Breastfeeding Summit reports on our findings regarding the influence of race and economic status on breastfeeding behavior among women in inner city Philadelphia, and makes a case for advocates and clinicians to explore these trends in their own, local populations.

Impact of Peanut Ball Device on the Duration of Active Labor: A Randomized Control Trial

Objective To evaluate whether the use of a peanut ball device shortens the duration of active labor in nulliparas. Study Design Single‐site, nonblinded randomized trial in nulliparous women admitted for labor or labor induction. English‐speaking women > 18 years of age with singleton pregnancies were enrolled. Participants were randomized to the use of peanut ball or usual care upon reaching the active phase of labor (≥ 6 cm cervical dilation) with an epidural. Primary outcome was rate of cervical dilation. Secondary outcomes were rates of cesarean delivery and fetal presentation at time of full dilation or delivery. Results Ninety‐six patients enrolled; 63 reached full cervical dilation. There was no statistically significant difference in rates of cervical dilation (0.98cm/h vs. 0.79cm/h, p = 0.27) or length of labor (315 minutes vs. 387 minutes, p = 0.14) between the groups. There was no difference in the rates of cesarean delivery (33% vs. 35%, p = 0.8) or occiput posterior presentation. (28% vs. 9%, p = 0.09). Among the subgroup who had labor arrest, fewer patients using the peanut ball experienced arrest of dilation; this approached but did not reach statistical significance (30% vs. 73% p = 0.05). Conclusion Use of the peanut ball does not significantly increase rates of cervical dilation or decrease time in active labor.