Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:- There is a paucity of data describing the effects of COVID-19, especially in asymptomatic patients, on placental pathology. Although the pathophysiology of COVID-19 is not completely understood, there is emerging evidence that it causes a severe systemic inflammatory response and results in a hypercoagulable state with widespread microthrombi. We hypothesized that it is plausible that a similar disease process may occur in the fetal-maternal unit. OBJECTIVE:- The aim of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 in term patients admitted to Labor and Delivery, including women without COVID-19 symptomatology, is associated with increased placental injury compared to a cohort of COVID-19 negative controls. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:- This was a retrospective cohort study performed at NYU Winthrop Hospital between 3/31/2020 and 6/17/2020. During the study period all women admitted to Labor and Delivery were routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 regardless of symptomatology. The placental histopathological findings of COVID-19 patients (n=77) who delivered a singleton gestation at term were compared to a control group of term patients without COVID-19 (n=56). Controls were excluded if they had obstetric or medical complications including fetal growth restriction, oligohydramnios, hypertension, diabetes, coagulopathy or thrombophilia. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed for variables that were significant in univariable analyses. A subgroup analysis was also performed comparing asymptomatic COVID-19 cases to negative controls. RESULTS:- In univariable analyses, COVID-19 cases were more likely to have evidence of fetal vascular malperfusion, i.e. presence of avascular villi and/or mural fibrin deposition (32.5% (25/77) vs. 3.6% (2/56), p<0.0001) and villitis of unknown etiology (20.8% (16/77) vs. 7.1% (4/56), p=0.030). These findings persisted in a subgroup analysis of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases compared to COVID-19 negative controls. In a multivariable model adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, mode of delivery, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction and oligohydramnios, the frequency of fetal vascular malperfusion abnormalities remained significantly higher in the COVID-19 group (OR= 12.63, 95% CI [2.40, 66.40]). While the frequency of villitis of unknown etiology was more than double in COVID-19 cases compared to controls, this did not reach statistical significance in a similar multivariable model (OR=2.11, 95% CI [0.50, 8.97]). All neonates of mothers with COVID-19 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. CONCLUSIONS:- Despite the fact that all neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR, we found that COVID-19 in term patients admitted to Labor and Delivery is associated with increased rates of placental histopathologic abnormalities, particularly fetal vascular malperfusion and villitis of unknown etiology. These findings appear to occur even among asymptomatic term patients.

INTRODUCTION: Early identification of PPH is difficult. Shock index (SI) (SI=HR/SBP) of (.0.9) has demonstrated good prediction of PPH, and identify identification of patients requiring massive transfusion. Our objective is to determine if there is a change in SI on admission to postpartum or at time of transfusion after which there is an increased transfusion requirement or morbidity.
METHOD(S): IRB approved, retrospective cohort of patients who received blood transfusion at a University based hospital, 2017-2018. SI calculated; at time of admission, after delivery, and prior to transfusion. Patients with invasive carcinoma, with fetus of non-viable gestational age, and incomplete charts were excluded. Spearman correlate coefficient, univariable logistic regression, and ROC analyses were performed.
RESULT(S): 160 patients; 117/160 (73%) delivered by cesarean, 37/ 160 (23%) vaginally, and 6/160 (4%) operative vaginal delivery. Mean admission hemoglobin was 10.8 (6 1.5). Median EBL was 1320 mL (250-6000 mL). 77/160 (48%) of patients received 2 units of PRBC, 26/ 160 (17%) received 3 units of PRBC, 24/160 (15%) received 4 units of PRBC and 33/160 (20%) received >=5 units of PRBC. Change in SI from admission to postpartum had a correlation coefficient of 0.022 and a P value of .78. Change in SI from admission to pre-transfusion had a correlation coefficient of 0.128 and a P value of .11.
CONCLUSION(S): Changes in SI from admission to immediately postpartum or pre-transfusion do not show any correlation or predictive value for increasing morbidity, or transfusion requirements. This demonstrates change in SI is a poor predictor of morbidity and transfusion requirements

OBJECTIVE:The objectives of our study were to: (1) evaluate the prevalence of cesarean delivery due to maternal request among nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) patients; (2) identify the clinical profile, if any, of these patients; and (3) compare the perinatal outcomes between NTSV patients who requested a cesarean delivery versus patients who did not request cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:This was a retrospective case control study performed at a single institution between November 2018 and July 2019. All NTSV patients who had a cesarean delivery due to maternal choice were identified and compared to the next two NTSV patients in labor who delivered vaginally or by medically indicated cesarean delivery following a cesarean delivery by maternal choice. The primary outcome was composite neonatal morbidity. Secondary outcomes were individual components of composite neonatal and maternal morbidity. RESULTS: < .01). There was no significant difference in composite neonatal morbidity between cases and controls (6.6% vs. 5.7%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.96, 95% CI 0.25-3.61). The risk for postpartum hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion was higher (but not statistically significant) in the study group (5.0% vs. 0.0%, aOR 6.43, 95% CI: 0.65-63.24). Patients who chose cesarean delivery during the intrapartum period had a higher (but not statistically significant) composite neonatal morbidity (14.3% vs. 5.7%, aOR 2.24, 95% CI 0.52-9.78) and composite maternal morbidity (28.6% vs.11.8%, aOR 2.90, 95% CI 0.92-9.16) and significantly higher transfusion rate (aOR 16.93, 95% CI 1.53-187.74). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Cesarean delivery by maternal choice in NTSV patients is not associated with improved neonatal outcomes; in contrast, it is associated with increased composite maternal morbidity and increased transfusion rate.