ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality, and it has gradually increased over time; this rise has been attributed to numerous reasons including the growing number of women with congenital heart disease who are surviving to childbearing age. Valve surgery during pregnancy is a high risk, with a fetal and maternal mortality rate of 35% and 9%, respectively. Prior knowledge about the cardiovascular disease opens up a host of options for the mother even during pregnancy, but presentation in the 3rd trimester puts both the mother and the baby at risk. Simultaneous caesarean section and maternal cardiac surgery is a suitable option for this subset of patients, and with this study we aim to assess its outcomes and feasibility. Methods: This is a retrospective study of five pregnant patients who presented with predominant symptoms of heart failure in the 3rd trimester between June 2019 and June 2021. Intraoperative and postoperative intensive care unit charts of all the patients were reviewed. Results: All five patients underwent simultaneous cesarean section and maternal cardiac surgery successfully with no fetal or maternal mortality and are doing well in the follow-up period. Conclusion: Cesarean section followed by definitive maternal cardiac surgery in the same sitting is a safe and feasible approach in the management of such patients. A well-prepared team is pivotal for a safe delivery with a cardiopulmonary bypass machine on standby. Specialized multidisciplinary care in the antepartum, peripartum, and postpartum period is essential to improve outcomes.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To improve the rates of first hour initiation ofbreastfeeding in neonates born through cesarean section from 0to 80% over 3 months through a quality improvement (QI)process.Design: Quality improvement study.Setting: Labor Room-Operation Theatre of a tertiary carehospital.Participants: Stable newborns ?35 weeks of gestation born bycesarean section under spinal anesthesia.Procedure: A team of nurses, pediatricians, obstetricians andanesthetists analyzed possible reasons for delayed initiation ofbreastfeeding by Process flow mapping and Fish bone analysis.Various change ideas were tested through sequential Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.Outcome measure: Proportion of eligible babies breast fedwithin 1 hour of delivery.Results: The rate of first-hour initiation of breastfeeding increasedfrom 0% to 93% over the study period. The result was sustainedeven after the last PDSA cycle, without any additional resources.Conclusions: A QI approach was able to accomplish sustainedimprovement in first-hour breastfeeding rates in cesareandeliveries.