Wessam M. Abuelghar

Can a smaller than expected crown–rump length reliably predict the occurrence of subsequent miscarriage in a viable first trimester pregnancy?

To elicit the diagnostic value of smaller than expected crown–rump length (CRL) to predict the occurrence of subsequent miscarriage in women with a viable first trimester pregnancy.

Women with clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovarian disease: predictors of spontaneous ovulation after laparoscopic ovarian drilling

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of different clinical, biochemical and sonographic factors as predictors of spontaneous ovulation after laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) in women with clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovarian disease (CCR-PCOD). STUDY DESIGN This prospective study recruited 251 infertile women with CCR-PCOD. Several clinical, biochemical and sonographic criteria were tested as possible predictors of spontaneous ovulation after LOD using multivariate analysis. RESULTS Women with higher preoperative levels of LH, FSH and/or androstenedione had significantly higher rates of spontaneous ovulation within the first eight weeks after LOD, but only FSH and androstenedione were found to be independent predictors. Other factors including age, BMI, type of infertility, duration of infertility, menstrual pattern, testosterone level, ovarian volume and SHBG were insignificant predictors. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves derived from FSH, LH, androstenedione, and a logistic regression model showed that the best cut-off values were 4.1IU/l, 7.8IU/l, 1.2ng/ml, and 0.4897, respectively, with sensitivity of 91.18%, 100%, 73.53%, and 88.24% and specificity of 69.57%, 69.57%, 65.22%, and 73.91% for FSH, LH, androstenedione, and logistic regression model respectively. An extended follow up (9 months after LOD) was conducted for the anovulatory and the non-pregnant ovulatory women, who were treated individually according to their clinical situation. Of these women, 53.5% (69/129) got pregnant, resulting in a cumulative pregnancy rate of 48% (82/171). Of these pregnancies, 16/82 (19.5%) were spontaneous while 35.4% (29/82) and 45.1% (37/82) occurred after ovulation induction by CC and gonadotropins, respectively. CONCLUSION This study supports the use of androstenedione, LH and FSH as a simple reliable tool in triaging patients with CCR-PCOD to select the ideal candidates for LOD.

Relation between types of yolk sac abnormalities and early embryonic morphology in first‐trimester missed miscarriage

The aim of this study was to identify yolk sac (YS) abnormalities and analyze their relation with different embryonic morphologies detected by ultrasonography in first‐trimester missed miscarriage.

Prediction of spontaneous preterm birth: salivary progesterone assay and transvaginal cervical length assessment after 24 weeks of gestation, another critical window of opportunity

Abstract Objectives: Measurement of salivary progesterone (SP4) levels and cervical length (CL) after 24 weeks to assess their potential predictive value among asymptomatic women at high risk of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). Methods: This prospective observational (noninterventional) study consecutively recruited asymptomatic women at high risk of spontaneous PTB. SP4 and CL were measured at recruitment (24–28 weeks of gestation) then repeated after 3–4 weeks. All recruited women were followed up regularly till delivery. The primary outcome measure was the occurrence of spontaneous PTB. Results: One hundred and thirty four women completed the study, 22 (16.4%) and 32 (23.9%) women had early (<34 weeks) and late (≥34 weeks) PTB, respectively. Initially, the mean CL was 3.2 ± 0.6 cm and the mean SP4 was 4062.8 ± 814.6 pg/ml; with follow up, the mean CL became 3.0 ± 0.6 cm and the mean SP4 became 3871.6 ± 1136.9. Women with early PTB had significantly lower initial and follow up CL and SP4 measures when compared to women with late PTB and those who had birth at term. The rate of drop in SP4 and CL measurements between the two visits was also significantly higher among women with early PTB than those with late PTB and term birth. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that, CL was a good predictor but SP4 was a better predictor of PTB as the area under the curve (AUC) for CL was less than that for SP4 at both visits (i.e. 0.858 and 0.868 versus 0.986 and 0.990 at the initial and follow up visits, respectively). There was a statistically significant correlation between CL and SP4 measurements. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that follow up SP4 measurement was the only independent predictor of spontaneous PTB, and neither BMI, maternal age, SP4 nor CL were independent predictors of early spontaneous PTB. Conclusions: After 24 gestational weeks, SP4 assessment is a simple and reliable promising tool to predict spontaneous PTB among asymptomatic high-risk women, with a little superior performance than CL measurement.

The emergence profile of propofol sedation compared with dexmedetomidine injection during ultrasound-guided oocyte pickup for in-vitro fertilization

Background The purpose of this study was to assess the quality, the recovery, and side effects of propofol sedation compared with dexmedetomidine in a very short minimally invasive procedure such as ultrasound-guided oocyte pickup for in-vitro fertilization. Patients and methods Sixty-two female patients undergoing ′ultrasound-guided oocyte pickup′ were randomly enrolled in the study, conducted in a specialized center (Elite Fertility Center, Cairo, Egypt). The emergence profile of sedation with propofol+fentanyl versus dexmedetomidine +fentanyl was compared. The sedation level was assessed and titrated to an Observer′s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAAS) score of 1-2 (responds only after mild prodding or no response to prodding or shaking). Recovery was assessed objectively by OAAS and subjectively by visual analog scale (VAS). Results There is no significant difference in intraoperative parameters regarding the heart rate, the mean arterial blood pressure, the respiratory rate, and SpaO 2 between group D (dexmedetomidine) and group P (propofol). Yet the induction time to the desired level of sedation was significantly shorter in group P compared with group D. Most of the group D patients returned postoperatively to an OAAS score of 5 earlier than group P patients. Group D showed a significantly lower VAS as compared with group P at 1 and 2 h postoperatively, whereas there was no significant difference in the VAS between the two groups at 3 h postoperatively. Conclusion Both propofol and dexmedetomidine are useful and safe for short-period procedural sedation; yet dexmedetomidine has a more rapid induction time of sedation than propofol, better analgesic effect with similar hemodynamic effects, better preservation of respiratory function, and rapid recovery. Thus, dexmedetomidine is a good alternative for short-period procedural sedation such as in ultrasound-guided oocyte pickup.