Sonography of the Lower Uterine Segment

ACR appropriateness Criteria® second and third trimester bleeding

Vaginal bleeding occurring in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy can variably affect perinatal outcome, depending on whether it is minor (i.e. a single, mild episode) or major (heavy bleeding or multiple episodes.) Ultrasound is used to evaluate these patients. Sonographic findings may range from marginal subchorionic hematoma to placental abruption. Abnormal placentations such as placenta previa, placenta accreta and vasa previa require accurate diagnosis for clinical management. In cases of placenta accreta, magnetic resonance imaging is useful as an adjunct to ultrasound and is often appropriate for evaluation of the extent of placental invasiveness and potential involvement of adjacent structures. MRI is useful for preplanning for cases of complex delivery, which may necessitate a multi-disciplinary approach for optimal care.The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed every two years by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and review include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of a well-established consensus methodology (modified Delphi) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures by the panel. In those instances where evidence is lacking or not definitive, expert opinion may be used to recommend imaging or treatment.

Research on vaccines during pregnancy: protocol design and assessment of safety

The Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health organized a series of conferences, entitled "Enrolling Pregnant Women in Clinical Trials of Vaccines and Therapeutics", to discuss study design and the assessment of safety in clinical trials conducted in pregnant women. A panel of experts was charged with developing guiding principles for the design of clinical trials and the assessment of safety of vaccines during pregnancy. Definitions and a grading system to evaluate local and systemic reactogenicity, adverse events, and other events associated with pregnancy and delivery were developed. The purpose of this report is to provide investigators interested in vaccine research in pregnancy with a basic set of tools to design and implement maternal immunization studies which may be conducted more efficiently using consistent definitions and grading of adverse events to allow the comparison of safety reports from different trials. These guidelines and safety assessment tools may be modified to meet the needs of each particular protocol based on evidence collected as investigators use them in clinical trials in different settings and share their findings and expertise.