First-trimester screening for pre-eclampsia: time for reflection

Fostering Excellence in Obstetrical Surgery

Introduction

This obstetric surgery review is directed toward the common obstetrical surgeries (caesarean delivery, VBAC/TOLAC, operative vaginal delivery, placenta accreta spectrum) with evidence for quality and safety to allow for obstetrical outcome excellence.

Materials and Methods

This focused scoping review has used a structured process for article identification and inclusion for each of the focused surgeries.

Results

The review results provide an obstetrical surgery (OS) overview for caesarean delivery, vaginal birth after caesarean delivery and/or trial of labor after caesarean delivery, operative vaginal delivery, placenta accreta spectrum; considerations for quality and safety variance due to non-clinical human factors; quality improvement (QI) tools; OS QI implementation cohorts; implementation considering certain barriers and solutions.

Conclusion

Administrative health care systems and obstetrical surgery care providers cannot afford, not to consider and implement, certain evidenced-based "bottom-up/top-down" processes for quality and safety, as the patients will demand the quality and the safety, but the lawyers should not have to enforce it.

Reviewing Accuracy of First Trimester Screening for Preeclampsia Using Maternal Factors and Biomarkers

Preeclampsia is a common and important complication of pregnancy, one with potentially significant morbidity and even mortality to both mother and baby. Identifying those at high risk of developing the condition is helpful as there is evidence that the incidence of preeclampsia can be reduced with low dose aspirin taken in pregnancy. Accurately predicting the risk of preeclampsia allows for more targeted aspirin prophylaxis and a greater opportunity for early detection of maternal and/or fetal complications associated with impaired placentation through a schedule of enhanced antenatal surveillance. Traditional preeclampsia prediction models use maternal characteristics and risk factors and have been shown to be of low predictive value. Multiparametric screening tests combine patient characteristics with serum biomarkers and ultrasound Doppler indices and have been shown to be more effective at detecting those at high risk of preeclampsia – more specifically, early-onset preeclampsia (onset of preeclampsia <34 weeks’ gestation). Multiparametric screening has now been validated in different populations. The true cost effectiveness of a multiparametric screening model for preeclampsia screening is not yet fully known and will vary depending on the clinical setting. Despite the growing body of evidence for its improved detection rates, first trimester preeclampsia screening using multiparametric models is not widely implemented and is not part of the recommendations for antenatal screening from most international bodies. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics has advised universal preeclampsia screening using maternal risk factors and biomarkers and has strongly encouraged its promotion worldwide. Various barriers to implementation must be considered such as the immediate cost of equipment and training, the need for audit and quality control, and the expected benefit to the population. Low to middle income settings may require a pragmatic approach to the implementation of multiparametric screening given limited resources.

Effects of compound Danshen injection combined with magnesium sulfate on serum MPO and hs-CRP in patients with severe preeclampsia

Effects of compound Danshen injection combined with magnesium sulfate on serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with severe preeclampsia (PE) were investigated. Five hundred patients with severe PE were randomly divided into early-onset observation, early-onset control, late-onset observation and late-onset control groups. Control group was treated with magnesium sulfate, while patients in observation group were treated with magnesium sulfate combined with compound Danshen injection. Serum levels of MPO and hs-CRP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and turbidimetric assay. The effects of compound Danshen injection combined with magnesium sulfate on the above indexes were observed. Serum levels of MPO and hs-CRP significantly decreased in early-onset observation, late-onset observation, early-onset control and late-onset control groups after treatment (p<0.05). After treatment, levels of MPO and hs-CRP were significantly lower in early-onset observation group than in early-onset control group (p<0.05), and levels of MPO and hs-CRP were also significantly lower in late-onset observation group than in late-onset control group (p<0.05). Total effective rate of early-onset observation group and late-onset observation group were higher than that of early-onset control group and late-onset control group. Compound Danshen injection combined with magnesium sulfate achieved better treatment outcomes in the treatment of severe PE than magnesium sulfate alone. The combined treatment can effectively reduce the serum levels of MPO and hs-CRP.