Pregnancy outcome among women with drug dependence: A population-based cohort study of 14 million births

Scoping Review of Best Practice Guidelines for Care in the Labor and Birth Setting of Pregnant Women Who Use Methamphetamines

OBJECTIVE

To use a scoping review to explore the existing literature on best practice guidelines for safe, dignified, and compassionate care in the labor and birth setting for pregnant women who use methamphetamines.

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a systematic search for articles and best practice guidelines from health-related databases (MEDLINE; CINAHL; and the Web of Science, including the Core Collection and Social Science Citation Index, PsycInfo, Women's Studies International, and Sociological Abstracts) and gray literature. Search terms included substance use disorder, methamphetamine, childbirth, and labor and delivery.

STUDY SELECTION

We included English-language, peer-reviewed reports of primary research, systematic reviews, and practice guidelines from credible databases and organizations published between 1991 and 2020. We screened 1,297 resources and agreed to review 156 articles and 16 gray literature resources in the full-text analysis. Nine of the 156 articles and 16 gray literature resources met the inclusion criteria.

DATA EXTRACTION

We used the Joanna Briggs Institute review guidelines (2015) criteria for extraction of the following data: author(s); year of publication; type of study; objectives; country of origin; study population and sample size (if applicable); inclusion of best practice guidelines for the labor and birth setting; care approaches specific to safety, dignity, compassion; and the targeted substance(s) discussed (e.g., methamphetamine, opioids, etc.). We further documented the phenomena of interest to determine if articles or best practice guidelines included safe, dignified, and compassionate care approaches specific to pregnant women who use methamphetamine.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We summarized the best practice guidelines, which included universal screening, assessment, and management of analgesia during labor, as well as broad guidance regarding the inclusion of a multidisciplinary health care team. Safe, dignified, and compassionate care approaches were focused on communication, shared decision making, and the provision of nonjudgmental care. Although evidence about substance use during the childbearing years is increasing, stronger evidence for clinical care approaches in the labor and birth setting is needed, inclusive of all stakeholder perspectives.

CONCLUSION

The articles and best practice guidelines reviewed provided broad clinical recommendations that were applicable to pregnant women who use methamphetamine. However, we did not find a complete comprehensive best practice guideline for labor and birth that was specific, was solution focused, and delineated a safe, dignified, and compassionate care approach.

Clinical presentation and management of urolithiasis in the obstetric patient: a matched cohort study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of pregnancy on the clinical presentation, inpatient procedure rates, and length of hospital stay, on women with urolithiasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We carried out a matched cohort study using the United States' Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 1999 to 2015. Pregnant women with urolithiasis were compared to age-matched non-pregnant women (1:1) with urolithiasis. Baseline clinical characteristics were compared between the two cohorts and the effect of pregnancy on select inpatient procedural and clinical outcomes was evaluated using conditional logistic regression models.

RESULTS

There were 42,113 pregnant patients diagnosed with urolithiasis during the study period. It was observed that pregnant patients were less likely to present with classic clinical symptoms of urinary tract stones, such as flank pain, OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.56-0.70, and fever, 0.22 (0.16-0.30), but tended to have longer hospital stays. The pregnant patients were less commonly affected by infectious conditions, namely urinary tract infections, 0.56 (0.53-0.59), sepsis, 0.17 (0.14-0.20), and pyelonephritis, 0.34 (0.36-0.44). Invasive and surgical procedures were less commonly performed in pregnant women.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women admitted with urolithiasis appear to be less symptomatic with fewer interventions and complications than non-pregnant women with urolithiasis.