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Arslan E, Allshouse AA, Page JM, Varner MW, Thorsten V, Parker C, Dudley DJ, Saade GR, Goldenberg RL, Stoll BJ, Hogue CJ, Bukowski R, Conway D, Pinar H, Reddy UM, Silver RM. Maternal serum fructosamine levels and stillbirth: a case-control study of the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network. BJOG 2021; 129:619-626. [PMID: 34529344 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.16922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between maternal fructosamine levels at the time of delivery and stillbirth. DESIGN Secondary analysis of a case-control study. SETTING Multicentre study of five geographic catchment areas in the USA. POPULATION All singleton stillbirths with known diabetes status and fructosamine measurement, and representative live birth controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Fructosamine levels in stillbirths and live births among groups were adjusted for potential confounding factors, including diabetes. Optimal thresholds of fructosamine to discriminate stillbirth and live birth. RESULTS A total of 529 women with a stillbirth and 1499 women with a live birth were included in the analysis. Mean fructosamine levels were significantly higher in women with a stillbirth than in women with a live birth after adjustment (177 ± 3.05 versus 165 ± 2.89 μmol/L, P < 0.001). The difference in fructosamine levels between stillbirths and live births was greater among women with diabetes (194 ± 8.54 versus 162 ± 3.21 μmol/L), compared with women without diabetes (171 ± 2.50 versus 162 ± 2.56 μmol/L). The area under the curve (AUC) for fructosamine level and stillbirth was 0.634 (0.605-0.663) overall, 0.713 (0.624-0.802) with diabetes and 0.625 (0.595-0.656) with no diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Maternal fructosamine levels at the time of delivery were higher in women with stillbirth compared with women with live birth. Differences were substantial in women with diabetes, suggesting a potential benefit of glycaemic control in women with diabetes during pregnancy. The small differences noted in women without diabetes are not likely to justify routine screening in all cases of stillbirth. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT Maternal serum fructosamine levels are higher in women with stillbirth than in women with live birth, especially in women with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Arslan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - A A Allshouse
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - J M Page
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Intermountain Health Care, Murray, Utah, USA
| | - M W Varner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - V Thorsten
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - C Parker
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - D J Dudley
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - G R Saade
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - R L Goldenberg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - B J Stoll
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - C J Hogue
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - R Bukowski
- Department of Women's Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - D Conway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - H Pinar
- Division of Perinatal Pathology, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - U M Reddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - R M Silver
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Engmann C, Garces A, Jehan I, Ditekemena J, Phiri M, Thorsten V, Mazariegos M, Chomba E, Pasha O, Tshefu A, Wallace D, McClure EM, Goldenberg RL, Carlo WA, Wright LL, Bose C. Birth attendants as perinatal verbal autopsy respondents in low- and middle-income countries: a viable alternative? Bull World Health Organ 2011; 90:200-8. [PMID: 22461715 DOI: 10.2471/blt.11.092452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Revised: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 11/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the feasibility of using birth attendants instead of bereaved mothers as perinatal verbal autopsy respondents. METHODS Verbal autopsy interviews for early neonatal deaths and stillbirths were conducted separately among mothers (reference standard) and birth attendants in 38 communities in four developing countries. Concordance between maternal and attendant responses was calculated for all questions, for categories of questions and for individual questions. The sensitivity and specificity of individual questions with the birth attendant as respondent were assessed. FINDINGS For early neonatal deaths, concordance across all questions was 94%. Concordance was at least 95% for more than half the questions on maternal medical history, birth attendance and neonate characteristics. Concordance on any given question was never less than 80%. Sensitivity and specificity varied across individual questions, more than 80% of which had a sensitivity of at least 80% and a specificity of at least 90%. For stillbirths, concordance across all questions was 93%. Concordance was 95% or greater more than half the time for questions on birth attendance, site of delivery and stillborn characteristics. Sensitivity and specificity varied across individual questions. Over 60% of the questions had a sensitivity of at least 80% and over 80% of them had a specificity of at least 90%. Overall, the causes of death established through verbal autopsy were similar, regardless of respondent. CONCLUSION Birth attendants can substitute for bereaved mothers as verbal autopsy respondents. The questions in existing harmonized verbal autopsy questionnaires need further refinement, as their sensitivity and specificity differ widely.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Engmann
- Department of Pediatrics and Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina Schools of Medicine and Public Health, UNC Hospitals, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7596, USA.
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Engmann C, Jehan I, Ditekemena J, Garces A, Phiri M, Mazariegos M, Chomba E, Pasha O, Tshefu A, McClure EM, Thorsten V, Chakraborty H, Goldenberg RL, Bose C, Carlo WA, Wright LL. An alternative strategy for perinatal verbal autopsy coding: single versus multiple coders. Trop Med Int Health 2011; 16:18-29. [PMID: 21371206 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02679.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the comparability between cause of death (COD) by a single physician coder and a two-physician panel, using verbal autopsy. METHODS The study was conducted between May 2007 and June 2008. Within a week of a perinatal death in 38 rural remote communities in Guatemala, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Pakistan, VA questionnaires were completed. Two independent physicians, unaware of the others decisions, assigned an underlying COD, in accordance with the causes listed in the chapter headings of the International classification diseases and related health problems, 10th revision (ICD-10). Cohen's kappa statistic was used to assess level of agreement between physician coders. RESULTS There were 9461 births during the study period; 252 deaths met study enrolment criteria and underwent verbal autopsy. Physicians assigned the same COD for 75% of stillbirths (SB) (K = 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.61-0.78) and 82% early neonatal deaths (END) (K = 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.65-0.84). The patterns and proportion of SBs and ENDs determined by the physician coders were very similar compared to causes individually assigned by each physician. Similarly, rank order of the top five causes of SB and END was identical for each physician. CONCLUSION This study raises important questions about the utility of a system of multiple coders that is currently widely accepted and speculates that a single physician coder may be an effective and economical alternative to VA programmes that use traditional two-physician panels to assign COD.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Engmann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7596, USA. USA.
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Engmann C, Jehan I, Ditekemena J, Garces A, Phiri M, Mazariegos M, Chomba E, Pasha O, Tshefu A, Hemed Y, McClure EM, Thorsten V, Bann C, Goldenberg RL, Bose C, Setel P, Carlo WA, Wright LL. Using verbal autopsy to ascertain perinatal cause of death: are trained non-physicians adequate? Trop Med Int Health 2009; 14:1496-504. [PMID: 19799757 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2009.02395.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop a standardized verbal autopsy (VA) training program and evaluate whether its implementation resulted in comparable knowledge required to classify perinatal cause of death (COD) by physicians and non-physicians. METHODS Training materials, case studies, and written and mock scenarios for this VA program were developed using conventional VA and ICD-10 guidelines. This program was used to instruct physicians and non-physicians in VA methodology using a train-the-trainer model. Written tests of cognitive and applied knowledge required to classify perinatal COD were administered before and after training to evaluate the effect of the VA training program. RESULTS Fifty-three physicians and non-physicians (nurse-midwives/nurses and Community Health Workers [CHW]) from Pakistan, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guatemala were trained. Cognitive and applied knowledge mean scores among all trainees improved significantly (12.8 and 28.8% respectively, P < 0.001). Cognitive and applied knowledge post-training test scores of nurse-midwives/nurses were comparable to those of physicians. CHW (high-school graduates with 15 months or less formal health/nursing training) had the largest improvements in post-training applied knowledge with scores comparable to those of physicians and nurse-midwives/nurses. However, CHW cognitive knowledge post-training scores were significantly lower than those of physicians and nurses. CONCLUSIONS With appropriate training in VA, cognitive and applied knowledge required to determine perinatal COD is similar for physicians and nurses-midwives/nurses. This suggests that midwives and nurses may play a useful role in determining COD at the community level, which may be a practical way to improve the accuracy of COD data in rural, remote, geographic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Engmann
- Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7596, USA.
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