Faculty Bibliography

We sought to evaluate the extent of the association between placental implantation abnormalities (PIA) and preterm delivery in singleton gestations. We conducted a systematic review of English-language articles published from 1980 onward using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, LILACS, and Google Scholar, and by identifying studies cited in the references of published articles. Search terms were PIA defined as ≥ 1 of the following: placenta previa, placenta accreta, vasa previa, and velamentous cord insertion. Observational and experimental studies were included for review if data were available regarding any of the aforementioned PIA and regarding gestational age at delivery or preterm delivery. Case reports and case series were excluded. Studies were reviewed and data extracted. The primary outcome was gestational age at delivery or preterm delivery <37 weeks' gestation. Secondary outcomes included birthweight, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, neonatal and perinatal death, and small for gestational age. Of the 1421 studies identified, 79 met the defined criteria; 56 studies were descriptive and 23 were comparative. Based on the descriptive studies, the preterm delivery rates for low-lying/marginal placenta, placenta previa, placenta accreta, vasa previa, and velamentous cord insertion were 26.9%, 43.5%, 57.7%, 81.9%, and 37.5%, respectively. Based on the comparative studies using controls, there was decreased pregnancy duration for every PIA; more specifically, there was an increased risk for preterm delivery in patients with placenta previa (risk ratio [RR], 5.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.39-6.45), vasa previa (RR, 3.36; 95% CI, 2.76-4.09), and velamentous cord insertion (RR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.67-2.28). Risks of NICU admissions (RR, 4.09; 95% CI, 2.80-5.97), neonatal death (RR, 5.44; 95% CI, 3.03-9.78), and perinatal death (RR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.41-6.43) were higher with placenta previa. Perinatal risks were also higher in patients with vasa previa (perinatal death rate RR, 4.52; 95% CI, 2.77-7.39) and velamentous cord insertion (NICU admissions [RR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.68-1.84], small for gestational age [RR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.56-1.82], and perinatal death [RR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.84-2.52]). In singleton gestations, there is a strong association between PIA and preterm delivery resulting in significant perinatal morbidity and mortality.

This article establishes the rationale and development of an obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) hospitalist fellowship program. The pool of OB/GYN hospitalists needs to be drastically expanded to accommodate the country's needs. Fellowship programs should provide extra training and confidence for recent resident graduates who want to pursue a hospitalist career. Fellowships should train physicians in a way that aligns their interests with those of the hospital with respect to patient care, teaching, and research. Research in the core measures should be a necessary component of the fellowship so as to provide long-term benefits for all stakeholders, including hospitals and patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the practice patterns of antenatal corticosteroid (AS) administration in women with threatened preterm labor. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort of patients who received betamethasone between 2009 and 2010, identified through a pharmacy database. Patients with high order multiples; incomplete records and indicated preterm delivery were excluded. Demographic and obstetrical factors were compared between women with an AS to delivery latency of 7 days. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used as appropriate. p < 0.05 denotes statistical significance; relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Three-hundred forty-five patients were included. Sixty-eight patients (20%) received AS within 7 days of delivery. Women who received AS /=2 cm (RR: 3.86, CI: 2.7-5.6) and positive fFN (RR: 2.59, CI: 1.1-6.3). Preterm premature ruptured membranes were also associated with optimal timing of AS (RR: 4.86, CI: 3.4-6.8). CONCLUSIONS: Eighty percent of patients receive suboptimal timing of AS administration. Factors associated with suboptimal timing are: cervical length >2 cm, cervical dilation <2 cm and negative fFN. Cervical assessment should be a key factor in the decision for AS administration. More research is needed for accurate timing of AS in women with threatened preterm labor.

Risk of uterine rupture with trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) is less than one percent. Discovery of uterine rupture often occurs during labor. In our case, the uterine scar is discovered to be ruptured during the postpartum period. The exact cause and time of uterine rupture is difficult to ascertain in this case, yet manual palpation of the uterine scar did not aid in the eventual diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the timing of administration of antenatal corticosteroids (AS) for indicated preterm births and to identify which indications are associated with the most optimal timing of administration. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort of patients who received AS in anticipation of indicated preterm birth from 2009 through 2012 at Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, NY. Medical records of patients who received AS, as identified through the hospital pharmacy database, were reviewed. Patients were included if they had a singleton or twin gestation and they received AS for maternal or fetal indications. Women were excluded if they received AS for spontaneous preterm labor or preterm rupture of membranes. Maternal demographic and obstetrical characteristics were compared between those who received AS7 days from delivery using parametric and nonparametric tests with relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. P<.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: In all, 193 patients were included in this study. Median latency from AS administration to delivery was 9 days (range, 0-83); 93 patients (48%) received AS within 7 days of delivery. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regards to baseline maternal characteristics. Those delivering within 7 days of AS administration were more likely to have maternal vs fetal indications (84% vs 16%). CONCLUSION: Only 48% of patients with an indication for preterm birth received AS within 7 days of its administration. AS appear to be more optimally timed in the presence of maternal rather than fetal indications.

OBJECTIVE:We sought to determine the extent to which reviewers' recommendations influence the final editorial disposition of manuscripts submitted for publication. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:Five reviewers retrieved their electronic databases of obstetrical manuscripts that they had reviewed for Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The recommendations of each reviewer were grouped in 1 of 3 categories: rejection (or not acceptance), acceptance with major revisions, and acceptance with minor or no revisions. These recommendations were contrasted in the final editorial disposition of the manuscript, which was recorded as "accepted" or "rejected." The quality of the reviews was assessed in a random sample of 10% of the reviews, stratified by reviewer and journal. RESULTS:A total of 635 reviews were analyzed. Overall, the most influential reviewers' recommendation was rejection, which was accompanied by 93% rejection rate. Recommendation for acceptance with minor or no revisions was accompanied by 67% acceptance rate whereas acceptance with major revisions was accompanied by 40% acceptance rate. There were no variations among reviewers regarding their degree of influence with respect to the final disposition of the manuscript. The final disposition of manuscripts was not influenced by the quality of the reviews nor reviewer's demographics including reviewer's age, year of first peer review, and years active in peer review. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The degree of influence on the final disposition of the manuscript depends on the type of recommendation. A recommendation for rejection was the most influential and it was associated with a high rate of rejection. Recommendations for acceptance or minor revisions were also influential but to a lesser degree.

OBJECTIVE: To compare composite maternal and neonatal morbidities (CMM, CNM) among nulliparous women with primary indications for caesarean section (CS) as acute clinical emergency (group I; ACE), non-reassuring fetal heart rate (group II) and arrest disorder (group III). DESIGN: A multicentre prospective study. SETTING: Nineteen academic centres in the USA, with deliveries in 1999-2002. POPULATION: Nulliparous women (n = 9829) that had CS. METHODS: Nulliparous women undergoing CS for three categories of indications were compared using logistic regression model, adjusted for five variables. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CMM was defined as the presence of any of the following: intrapartum or postpartum transfusion, uterine rupture, hysterectomy, cystotomy, ureteral or bowel injury or death; CNM was defined as the presence of any of the following: umbilical arterial pH <7.00, neonatal seizure, cardiac, hepatic, renal dysfunction, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy or neonatal death. RESULTS: The primary reasons for CS were ACE in 1% (group I, n = 114) non-reassuring FHR in 29% (group II; n = 2822) and failed induction/dystocia in the remaining 70% (group III; n = 6893). The overall risks of CMM and CNM were 2.5% (95% confidence intervals, CI, 2.2-2.8%) and 1.9% (95% CI 1.7-2.2), respectively. The risk of CMM was higher in group I than in group II (RR 4.1, 95% CI 3.1, 5.3), and group III (RR 3.2, 95% CI 2.7, 3.7). The risk of CNM was also higher in group I than in group II (RR 2.8, 95% CI 2.3, 3.4) and group III (RR 14.1, 95% CI 10.7, 18.7). CONCLUSIONS: Nulliparous women who have acute clinically emergent caesarean sections are at the highest risks of both composite maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To provide further sonographic, clinical and histological evidence that Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a precursor to and an early form of second- and third-trimester morbidly adherent placenta (MAP). METHODS: This is a report of 10 cases of CSP identified early, in which the patients decided to continue the pregnancy, following counseling that emphasized the possibility of both significant pregnancy complications and a need for hysterectomy. Pregnancies were followed at 2-4-week intervals with ultrasound scans and customary monitoring. The aim was for patients to reach near term or term and then undergo elective Cesarean delivery and, if necessary, hysterectomy. Charts, ultrasound images, operative reports and histopathological examinations of the placentae were reviewed. RESULTS: The ultrasound diagnosis of CSP was made before 10 weeks. By the second trimester, all patients exhibited sonographic signs of MAP. Nine of the 10 patients delivered liveborn neonates between 32 and 37 weeks. In the tenth pregnancy, progressive shortening of the cervix and intractable vaginal bleeding prompted termination, with hysterectomy, at 20 weeks. Two other patients in the cohort had antepartum complications (bleeding at 33 weeks in one case and contractions at 32 weeks in the other). All patients underwent hysterectomy at the time of Cesarean delivery, with total blood loss ranging from 300 to 6000 mL. Placenta percreta was the histopathological diagnosis in all 10 cases. CONCLUSION: The cases in this series validate the hypothesis that CSP is a precursor of MAP, both sharing the same histopathology. Our findings provide evidence that can be used to counsel patients with CSP, to enable them to make an informed choice between first-trimester termination and continuation of the pregnancy, with its risk of premature delivery and loss of uterus and fertility