Acute iron poisoning.

Accidental iron ingestion is not uncommon in children and has become a leading cause of unintentional pharmaceutical ingestion fatality. Difficulty in obtaining urgent serum iron levels in majority of hospitals in India, lack of objective indices for starting and stopping the chelation therapy and the cost of chelation therapy, all pose a significant challenge for a clinician in managing an acutely intoxicated patient. This review emphasizes the need for early recognition and correct intervention of a child with acute iron overdose to avoid undue morbidity and mortality.

Color Doppler evaluation of uteroplacentofetal circulation in management of high risk pregnancies.

The study group consisted of 75 high risk singleton pregnancies in whom color duplex Doppler evaluation of the uteroplacental circulation was determined and correlated with perinatal outcome. Uterine, umbilical and middle cerebral artery flow velocity waveforms (FVW) were analysed and the resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) and the systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratios measured. On the basis of the FVW the uteroplacentofetal blood flow was classified as normal, increased resistance to flow, absent end diastolic flow (AEDF), and reversed end diastolic flow (REDF). Ultrasound biometry was simultaneously performed for all fetuses, while non stress testing was performed as and when indicated. Of the 75 fetuses studied 33 (44%) had abnormal FVWs and only 30.3% of these had an uncomplicated outcome as compared to 81% of those with normal flows. The mortality in cases with abnormal flows was 43% as compared to 7% in those with normal flows. There were 40 growth retarded fetuses in the study group of which 30 (75%) had abnormal umbilical artery FVWs. Of the 18 fetuses with AEDF or REDF, all (n = 7) in whom timely obstetric intervention was not done died in utero, irrespective of fetal weight and gestational age, however 75% of these with weight > 1000 g survived when delivered by cesarean section.

Maternal heart disease and perinatal outcome.

Between January 1991 and August 1992, 62 singleton pregnancies with heart disease were managed at the Wadia Maternity Hospital, Bombay. In 51 (82.3%), the heart disease was of rheumatic origin, while in 11 (17.7%), the disease was nonrheumatic. Thirteen cases of rheumatic disease (25.4%) were graded as Class III or IV, as per New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Six cases with rheumatic disease had closed mitral commisurotomy done, while none had a prosthetic heart valve. There was no maternal mortality. The average birth weight of neonates born to mothers with Class III or IV rheumatic heart disease was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the average noted in singleton, normal, uncomplicated, non high risk pregnancies, during this period. There was also a significant difference (p < 0.05) in birth weight between infants born to mothers with NYHA Class I or II and Class III or IV symptoms. No infant had a congenital heart disease. Our findings suggest that though the presence of maternal heart disease did not affect the perinatal outcome, all infants born to mothers with NYHA Class III or IV had intrauterine growth retardation.