Disparities in obstetric hemorrhage outcomes

Prenatal hypertension as the risk of eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and critical obstetric hemorrhage

Critical bleeding is a common cause of maternal mortality in obstetric patients. However, the non-obstetric factors underlying critical obstetric bleeding remain uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the impact of chronic hypertension on obstetric hemorrhage by evaluating a nationwide administrative database in Japan. Women who gave birth between 2018 and 2022 were enrolled. The primary outcome was critical hemorrhage requiring massive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion during childbirth. In total, 354, 299 eligible women were selected from the database. The maternal mortality rate was >1.0% among those who received a massive RBC transfusion (≥4000 cc), and this amount was used as the cutoff of the outcome. Critical hemorrhage was less frequent with elective Caesarean section (CS) compared with vaginal childbirth or emergent CS (odds ratio [OR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.47). Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for these obstetric risks revealed that a higher maternal age (adjusted OR [aOR] per 1 year, 1.07 [1.05-1.09]); oral medications with prednisolone (aOR, 2.5 [1.4-4.4]), anti-coagulants (aOR, 10 [5.4-19]), and anti-platelets (aOR, 2.9 [1.3-6.4]); and a prenatal history of hypertension (aOR, 2.5 [1.5-4.4]) and hypoproteinemia (aOR, 5.8 [1.7-20]) are the risks underlying critical obstetric hemorrhage. Prenatal history of hypertension was significantly associated with obstetric disseminated intravascular coagulation (OR, 1.9 [1.5-2.4]); Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome (OR, 3.3 [2.7-4.2]); and eclampsia (OR, 6.1 [4.6-8.1]). In conclusion, a maternal prenatal history of hypertension is associated with the development of HELLP syndrome, eclampsia, and resultant critical hemorrhage. The incidence of HELLP syndrome and eclampsia increased more than fivefold in the presence of prenatal hypertension. However, the likelihood of subsequently developing DIC or experiencing critical bleeding did not change by the presence of prenatal hypertension.

To Determine the Quality of Life in Indian Women After Peripartum Hysterectomy Using a Hindi Version of the SF-36 Questionnaire

Objective

The objective of the study was to determine the quality of life in women after peripartum hysterectomy using a Hindi version of the SF-36 questionnaire.

Background

There are long-term effects on quality of life in women after peripartum hysterectomy. The effects on physical, mental, and social functioning have a prolonged recovery. No studies have been done in Indian women after peripartum hysterectomy to evaluate quality of life.

Methods

Patients who underwent peripartum hysterectomy from January 2017 to May 2021 were contacted to participate in the study. To determine the quality of life post-surgery, a Hindi version of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used for a face-to-face personal interview-based assessment. The participants were divided into two groups based on the duration between surgery and the interview. The aggregate scores for the eight components of SF-36 were calculated, and responses were analyzed.

Results

Out of the 138 post-hysterectomy women, 118 were enrolled in the study. Women who could not be contacted [14 (10.14%)] and those who died post-procedure [6 (4.35%)] were excluded. Out of the total, 43 assessed participants were within 2 years of surgery, and 75 were after 2 years of surgery. The group that was assessed after 2 years of surgery had a significantly lower quality of life in six, out of the eight aspects of SF-36 domains.

Conclusion

Women after peripartum hysterectomy undergo a prolonged recovery phase with effects on physical, mental, and social functioning. A multi-disciplinary long-term follow-up including physiotherapy and psychotherapy is required and that should be guided by a dedicated clinical team.

Intravenous Calcium to Decrease Blood Loss During Intrapartum Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether prophylactic administration of 1 g of intravenous calcium chloride after cord clamping reduces blood loss from uterine atony during intrapartum cesarean delivery.

METHODS

This single-center, block-randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind superiority trial compared the effects of 1 g intravenous calcium chloride with those of saline placebo control on blood loss at cesarean delivery. Parturients at 34 or more weeks of gestation requiring intrapartum cesarean delivery after oxytocin exposure in labor were enrolled. Calcium or saline placebo was infused over 10 minutes beginning 1 minute after umbilical cord clamping in addition to standard care with oxytocin. The primary outcome was quantitative blood loss, analyzed by inverse Gaussian regression. Planned subgroup analysis excluded nonatonic bleeding, such as hysterotomy extension, arterial bleeding, and occult placenta accreta. We planned to enroll 120 patients to show a 200-mL reduction in quantitative blood loss in planned subgroup analysis, assuming up to 40% incidence of nonatonic bleeding (80% power, α<0.05).

RESULTS

From April 2022 through March 2023, 828 laboring parturients provided consent and 120 participants were enrolled. Median blood loss was 840 mL in patients allocated to calcium chloride (n=60) and 1,051 mL in patients allocated to placebo (n=60), which was not statistically different (mean reduction 211 mL, 95% CI -33 to 410). In the planned subgroup analysis (n=39 calcium and n=40 placebo), excluding cases of surgeon-documented nonatonic bleeding, calcium reduced quantitative blood loss by 356 mL (95% CI 159-515). Rates of reported side effects were similar between the two groups (38% calcium vs 42% placebo).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic intravenous calcium chloride administered during intrapartum cesarean delivery after umbilical cord clamping did not significantly reduce blood loss in the primary analysis. However, in the planned subgroup analysis, calcium infusion significantly reduced blood loss by approximately 350 mL. These data suggest that this inexpensive and shelf-stable medication warrants future study as a novel treatment strategy to decrease postpartum hemorrhage, the leading global cause of maternal morbidity and mortality.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05027048.

Changing Trends of Obstetric Hysterectomy Over Last 2 Decades: A Retrospective Analysis from a Single Center Tertiary Care Rural Teaching Hospital of Western India

Objective

The primary objective of our study to analyze the trend of obstetric hysterectomy (OH) over last 2 decade in rural tertiary care referral center of western India.

Design

Retrospective observational and comparative study from single rural tertiary care referral center of western India.

Method

A retrospective data collected of patients who underwent OH from Jan 2001 to Dec 2021. Each patient studied in detail for demographic and clinical profile, indication of OH, Intra operative and post operative complication and feto-maternal outcome. Patient of first decade (2001 to 2010) compared with second decade (2011 to 2021) to see the changing trend of OH.

Results

Total 19,666 patients delivered in study period.195 patient underwent OH. Incidence of OH is 0.9%. 171 out of 195 patients were referred (87%). If we see the trend of OH over 2 decades 2001 to 2010 and 2011 to 2021 incidence of OH slightly raised from 0.87% to 1.07% (p 0.16). Although Incidence of OH in cesarean delivery rises from 0.6 to 1.4% (p 0.6) but this change due to overall increase in cesarean section rate from 37 to 49%(p < 0.0001). Indication of OH significantly change as uterine rupture decrease significantly from 61 to 22%(p < 0.001) and morbidly adherent placenta increases from 7 to 23%(p 0.007). ICU admission and ventilator support increases from 54 to 79%(p 0.04) and 22% to 70% (p < 0.001), respectively, due to improved critical care services, but maternal death remains relatively same 15% & 20% (p 0.5).

Conclusion

Primary CS rates should be decreased to prevent adherent placenta spectrum disorders. Good antenatal care and development of a robust referral system can decrease maternal mortality. Greater utilization of skill laboratory and simulators will go a long way in developing the skills of aspiring doctors in operative vaginal deliveries.

Short: Prediction of fetal blood oxygen content in response to partial occlusion of maternal aorta

Acute hemorrhage in pregnancy may lead to maternal and/or fetal morbidity or mortality. In emergency medicine, blockage of the aorta via an inflatable endovascular balloon, technically referred to Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA), is used to manage hemorrhage. However, the application of REBOA in pregnancy needs to strike a balance between two competing objectives of limiting maternal blood loss and ensuring fetal wellness, for which one would need to predict the impact of regulated blood pressure on fetal wellness. To address this problem, we propose an efficient machine learning-based method to predict the temporal impact of the distal Mean Arterial Blood Pressure (dMAP) controlled by the REBOA on the oxygen content in the fetal blood. Evaluation of the algorithm on data collected from in-vivo experiments from pregnant ewe animal models exhibits mean absolute error of 0.61, 1.09, 1.42, 1.70 mmHg, and coefficient of determination of 0.95, 0.86, 0.76, 0.64 for prediction of partial pressure of oxygen in fetal arterial blood, a key predictor of fetal wellness, in 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10-minute prediction horizons, respectively.

What is already done by different societies in reduction of maternal mortality? Are they successful at all?

Maternal mortality represents a major issue for every health system, especially in developed countries that aim on creating protocols to retain a declining pattern. With the appropriate medical supplies and training, some of these countries have made a remarkable progress in preventing maternal morbidity and mortality. On the contrary, developing countries have still made little or even no progress. Identifying determinants and designing strategies is of great importance in order to overcome such difficulties. The aim of this study is to identify the main causes of maternal mortality in the different societies.

Recognizing who is at risk for postpartum hemorrhage: targeting anemic women and scoring systems for clinical use

Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy is a common concern, affecting 38% of women worldwide and up to 50% in developing countries. It is defined differently throughout all 3 trimesters. It has several detrimental effects on pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and the fetus, such as increasing the risk for postpartum depression, preterm delivery, cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, and low birthweight. Management of iron deficiency anemia is done classically via oral iron supplementation. However, recent evidence has shown that intravenous iron is a good alternative to oral iron if patients are unable to tolerate it, not responding, or present with a new diagnosis very late in pregnancy. Management of iron deficiency anemia was demonstrated to be protective against postpartum hemorrhage. Other ways to prevent postpartum hemorrhage include improving prediction tools that can identify those at risk. Several risk assessment kits have been developed to estimate the risk for postpartum hemorrhage among patients and have been proven useful in the prediction of patients at high risk for postpartum hemorrhage despite limitations among low-risk groups. More comprehensive tools are also being explored by determining clinically relevant factors through nomograms, with some proving their efficacy after implementation. Machine learning is also being used to develop more complete tools by including risk factors previously not accounted for. These newer tools, however, still require external validation before being adopted despite promising results under testing conditions.