Underlying medical conditions

Comparison between public and private sectors of care and disparities in adverse neonatal outcomes following emergency intrapartum cesarean at term - A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Perinatal outcomes may be influenced by a variety of factors including maternal demographics and medical condition as well as socio-economic status. The evidence for disparities in health outcomes stratified by type of care (public or private) is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate short term neonatal outcomes following category 1 and 2 emergency cesareans at term between publicly and privately funded women at a single major tertiary centre in Australia. Category 1-immediate threat to life (maternal or fetal); Category 2-maternal or fetal compromise that is not immediately life-threatening.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, cross sectional study of 61355 term singleton babies born at the Mater Mother's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia in 2007-2014. We collected data from the hospital's maternity database and compared maternal demographics, indications for cesarean and neonatal outcomes for publicly and privately funded women.

RESULTS

Over the study period there were 32477 public and 28878 private, term singleton births. Compared to the publicly funded cohort, privately insured women were older, had lower BMI, were of Caucasian ethnicity, Australian born, nulliparous, had shorter labors and had lower rates of hypertensive disorders and diabetes. The most common indications for category 1 and category 2 cesareans in combination were non-reassuring fetal status followed by failure to progress in labor and malpresentation. For both category 1 and 2 cesareans, neonatal outcomes (Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes, abnormal cord gases, Neonatal Critical Care Unit admission rates, rates of severe respiratory distress and jaundice) were significantly worse in the publicly funded compared to the privately insured cohort Multivariate analyses controlling for maternal age, ethnicity, country of birth, parity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, gestational age at birth and length of labour confirmed that private insurance status was highly protective for the perinatal outcomes of Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes (aOR 0.26, 95% CI 0.13-0.55), admission to NCCU (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.30-0.92) and respiratory distress (aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.41-0.86).

CONCLUSION

Birth in the private health sector was inversely associated with adverse neonatal outcomes following category 1 and 2 cesareans.

Major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus patients after successful delivery: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Limited data exist regarding the incidence rate and hazard ratios (HRs) of major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in the successful-delivery women with or without systemic lupus erythematosus.

METHODS

A retrospective, population-based cohort study was performed on 1,132,089 parturients from 1999 to 2003. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used to examine the effect of systemic lupus erythematosus on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. Cox-proportional hazard regression modeling was used to determine the adjusted HRs of systemic lupus erythematosus on the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality among successful-delivery women.

RESULTS

Systemic lupus erythematosus group has the highest risk for major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. The incidence rate of major adverse cardiovascular events and all-causes mortality among lupus women was 194.67 and 438.82 per 100,000 patients per year, respectively. Lupus women had higher incidence rates of major adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, (HR, 54.43; confidence interval [CI], 16.04-184.78; P < 0.0001), heart failure (HR, 11.10; CI, 2.71-45.52; P < 0.0001), percutaneous coronary intervention (HR, 228.32; CI, 43.34-1203.00; P < 0.0001), stroke (HR, 8.02; CI, 3.79-16.99; P < 0.0001) and maternal death (HR, 11.68; CI, 7.97-17.10; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality are rare events in women of reproductive age, the incidence rates have increased approximately 10-fold among lupus women with successful delivery. Clinicians should note the possibility of persisting major adverse cardiovascular events and death in young women with lupus and successful delivery.

Health insurance status and outcomes of critically ill obstetric patients: a prospective cohort study in Argentina

PURPOSE

In Argentina, uninsured patients receive public health care, and the insured receive private health care. Our aim was to compare different outcomes between critically ill obstetric patients from both sectors.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort, including pregnant/postpartum patients requiring admission to 1 intensive care unit in the public sector (uninsured) and 1 in the private (insured) from January 1, 2008, to September 30, 2011.

RESULTS

A total of 151 patients were included in the study. In uninsured (n = 63) vs insured (n = 88) patients, Acute Physiology and Chronic Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were 11 ± 6.5 vs 8 ± 4 and 3 (2-7) vs 1 (0-2), respectively, and 84% vs 100% received prenatal care (P = .001 for all). Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) was present in 32 (54%) uninsured vs 9 (10%) insured patients (P = .001), and acute respiratory distress syndrome developed in 18 (30.5%) of 59 vs 2(2%) of 88 (P = .001). Neonatal survival was 80% vs 96% (P = .003). Variables independently associated with the development of MODS were APACHE II (odds ratio, 1.30 [1.13-1.49]), referral from another hospital (odds ratio, 11.43 [1.86-70.20]), lack of health insurance (odds ratio 6.75 [2.17-20.09]), and shock (odds ratio 4.82 [1.54-15.06]). Three patients died, all uninsured.

CONCLUSIONS

Uninsured critically ill obstetric patients (public sector) were more severely ill on admission and experienced worse outcomes than insured patients (private sector). Variables independently associated with MODS were APACHE II, shock, referral from another hospital, and lack of insurance.