Near-miss and maternal sepsis mortality: A qualitative study of survivors and support persons.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have shown that maternal deaths due to sepsis occur due to delays in recognition, treatment, and escalation of care through medical chart reviews. This study was conducted to obtain the patient perspective for near-miss and maternal mortality cases due to sepsis. OBJECTIVE: To identify quality improvement opportunities for improving maternal sepsis through patient and support person experiences. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty semi-structured interviews and three follow-up focus groups with patients who experienced critical illness from maternal sepsis in the United States and their support persons (when available) were conducted from May 23, 2022, through October 14, 2022. In this qualitative study, data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: In this qualitative study of patients with maternal sepsis and their support persons, four main quality improvement themes were identified. The themes were the following: (1) participants reported a lack of awareness of pregnancy-related warning signs and symptoms of when to seek care, (2) many of the presenting symptoms participants experienced were not typical of expected warning signs of maternal sepsis, such as severe pain, overwhelming tiredness, and lack of fever (3) participant concerns were met with dismissal leading to delays in diagnosis, (4) participants experienced long-term sequelae but had difficulty receiving screening and referrals for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that standardized patient education about the warning signs of maternal sepsis and provider education about the presentation of maternal sepsis, improved listening to patients, and follow-up for sequalae of sepsis are needed.

Validating Parallel-Forms Tests for Assessing Anesthesia Resident Knowledge.

We created a serious game to teach first year anesthesiology (CA-1) residents to perform general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. We aimed to investigate resident knowledge gains after playing the game and having received one of 2 modalities of debriefing. We report on the development and validation of scores from parallel test forms for criterion-referenced interpretations of resident knowledge. The test forms were intended for use as pre- and posttests for the experiment. Validation of instruments measuring the study's primary outcome was considered essential for adding rigor to the planned experiment, to be able to trust the study's results. Parallel, multiple-choice test forms development steps included: (1) assessment purpose and population specification; (2) content domain specification and writing/selection of items; (3) content validation by experts of paired items by topic and cognitive level; and (4) empirical validation of scores from the parallel test forms using Classical Test Theory (CTT) techniques. Field testing involved online administration of 52 shuffled items from both test forms to 24 CA-1's, 21 second-year anesthesiology (CA-2) residents, 2 fellows, 1 attending anesthesiologist, and 1 of unknown rank at 3 US institutions. Items from each form yielded near-normal score distributions, with similar medians, ranges, and standard deviations. Evaluations of CTT item difficulty (item p values) and discrimination (D) indices indicated that most items met assumptions of criterion-referenced test design, separating experienced from novice residents. Experienced residents performed better on overall domain scores than novices (P < .05). Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) reliability estimates of both test forms were above the acceptability cut of .70, and parallel forms reliability estimate was high at .86, indicating results were consistent with theoretical expectations. Total scores of parallel test forms demonstrated item-level validity, strong internal consistency and parallel forms reliability, suggesting sufficient robustness for knowledge outcomes assessments of CA-1 residents.

Performance Characteristics of Sepsis Screening Tools During Antepartum and Postpartum Admissions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance characteristics of existing screening tools for the prediction of sepsis during antepartum and postpartum readmissions. METHODS: This was a case-control study using electronic health record data obtained between 2016 and 2021 from 67 hospitals for antepartum sepsis admissions and 71 hospitals for postpartum readmissions up to 42 days. Patients in the sepsis case group were matched in a 1:4 ratio to a comparison cohort of patients without sepsis admitted antepartum or postpartum. The following screening criteria were evaluated: the CMQCC (California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative) initial sepsis screen, the non-pregnancy-adjusted SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), the MEWC (Maternal Early Warning Criteria), UKOSS (United Kingdom Obstetric Surveillance System) obstetric SIRS, and the MEWT (Maternal Early Warning Trigger Tool). Time periods were divided into early pregnancy (less than 20 weeks of gestation), more than 20 weeks of gestation, early postpartum (less than 3 days postpartum), and late postpartum through 42 days. False-positive screening rates, C-statistics, sensitivity, and specificity were reported for each overall screening tool and each individual criterion. RESULTS: We identified 525 patients with sepsis during an antepartum hospitalization and 728 patients with sepsis during a postpartum readmission. For early pregnancy and more than 3 days postpartum, non-pregnancy-adjusted SIRS had the highest C-statistics (0.78 and 0.83, respectively). For more than 20 weeks of gestation and less than 3 days postpartum, the pregnancy-adjusted sepsis screening tools (CMQCC and UKOSS) had the highest C-statistics (0.87-0.94). The MEWC maintained the highest sensitivity rates during all time periods (81.9-94.4%) but also had the highest false-positive rates (30.4-63.9%). The pregnancy-adjusted sepsis screening tools (CMQCC, UKOSS) had the lowest false-positive rates in all time periods (3.9-10.1%). All tools had the lowest C-statistics in the periods of less than 20 weeks of gestation and more than 3 days postpartum. CONCLUSION: For admissions early in pregnancy and more than 3 days postpartum, non-pregnancy-adjusted sepsis screening tools performed better than pregnancy-adjusted tools. From 20 weeks of gestation through up to 3 days postpartum, using a pregnancy-adjusted sepsis screening tool increased sensitivity and minimized false-positive rates. The overall false-positive rate remained high.

Performance Characteristics of Sepsis Screening Tools During Delivery Admissions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the screening performance characteristics of existing tools for the diagnosis of sepsis during delivery admissions. METHODS: This was a case-control study using electronic health record data, including vital signs and laboratory results, for all delivery admissions of patients with sepsis from 59 nationally distributed hospitals. Patients with sepsis were matched by gestational age at delivery in a 1:4 ratio with patients without sepsis to create a comparison group. Patients with chorioamnionitis and sepsis were compared with a complete cohort of patients with chorioamnionitis without sepsis. Multiple screening criteria for sepsis were evaluated: the CMQCC (California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative), SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), the MEWC (the Maternal Early Warning Criteria), UKOSS (United Kingdom Obstetric Surveillance System), and the MEWT (Maternal Early Warning Trigger Tool). Sensitivity, false-positive rates, and C-statistics were reported for each screening tool. Analyses were stratified into cohort 1, which excluded patients with chorioamnionitis-endometritis, and cohort 2, which included those patients. RESULTS: Delivery admissions at 59 hospitals were extracted for patients with sepsis. Cohort 1 comprised 647 patients with sepsis, including 228 with end-organ injury, matched with a control group of 2,588 patients without sepsis. Cohort 2 comprised 14,591 patients with chorioamnionitis-endometritis, of whom 1,049 had sepsis and 238 had end-organ injury. In cohort 1, the CMQCC and the UKOSS pregnancy-adjusted criteria had the lowest false-positive rates (6.9% and 9.6%, respectively) and the highest C-statistics (0.92 and 0.91, respectively). Although other screening criteria, such as SIRS and the MEWC, had similar sensitivities, it was at the cost of much higher false-positive rates (21.3% and 38.3%, respectively). In cohort 2, including all patients with chorioamnionitis-endometritis, the highest C-statistics were again for the CMQCC (0.67) and UKOSS (0.64). All screening tools had high false-positive rates, but the false-positive rates for the CMQCC and UKOSS were substantially lower than those for SIRS and the MEWC. CONCLUSION: During delivery admissions, the CMQCC and UKOSS pregnancy-adjusted screening criteria have the lowest false-positive results while maintaining greater than 90% sensitivity rates. Performance of all screening tools was degraded in the setting of chorioamnionitis-endometritis.

Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health: Consensus Bundle on Sepsis in Obstetric Care.

Sepsis in obstetric care is one of the leading causes of maternal death in the United States, with Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native obstetric patients experiencing sepsis at disproportionately higher rates. State maternal mortality review committees have determined that deaths are preventable much of the time and are caused by delays in recognition, treatment, and escalation of care. The "Sepsis in Obstetric Care" patient safety bundle provides guidance for health care teams to develop coordinated, multidisciplinary care for pregnant and postpartum people by preventing infection and recognizing and treating infection early to prevent progression to sepsis. This is one of several core patient safety bundles developed by AIM (the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) to provide condition- or event-specific clinical practices that should be implemented in all appropriate care settings. As with other bundles developed by AIM, the "Sepsis in Obstetric Care" patient safety bundle is organized into five domains: Readiness, Recognition and Prevention, Response, Reporting and Systems Learning, and Respectful, Equitable, and Supportive Care. The Respectful, Equitable, and Supportive Care domain provides essential best practices to support respectful, equitable, and supportive care to all patients. Further health equity considerations are integrated into the elements of each domain.

Procalcitonin levels in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: The utility of procalcitonin to identify obstetric sepsis is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To calculate the mean (range) procalcitonin in pregnancy among healthy women not in labor (group 1), healthy women in labor (group 2), and women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) without clinical chorioamnionitis (group 3). SEARCH STRATEGY: NLM PubMed, Elsevier Embase, and Wiley Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to February 21, 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA: Ten or more pregnant women with procalcitonin reported at more than 20 weeks of pregnancy, with information on labor, PPROM, and infection. Exclusions were major medical comorbidities. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Each abstract and full-text review was independently reviewed by the same two authors. Quality was reviewed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. MAIN RESULTS: The systematic review included 25 studies: 10 (40%) of good quality and 15 (60%) of poor quality. The meta-analysis included 21 studies. Mean procalcitonin in group 1 was 0.092 ng/mL (range 0.036-0.049 ng/mL), in group 2 it was 0.130 ng/mL (range 0.049-0.259 ng/mL), and in group 3 it was 0.345 ng/mL (range 0.005-1.292 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Among healthy pregnant women not in labor, procalcitonin levels are comparable to those in non-pregnant adults and may be useful in identifying infection. Procalcitonin levels in other groups overlap abnormal values of procalcitonin in non-pregnant adults, and may not discriminate infection among women in labor or with obstetric comorbidities. PROSPERO: CRD42020157376, registered 4/28/2020.

Maternal deaths due to suicide and overdose in the state of Michigan from 2008 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports indicate that the contribution of deaths related to suicide and overdose are increasing, and may be the leading contributors to maternal mortality up to one year postpartum. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide a granular assessment of maternal deaths due to suicide or drug overdose in the state of Michigan from 2008 to 2018. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective study involved a secondary review of deceased patients' records from 2008 to 2018 stored at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services through the Michigan Maternal Mortality Surveillance Program. Pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated deaths were reviewed. A descriptive analysis of maternal characteristics and identified trends was presented in deidentified aggregate form. RESULTS: There were 237 maternal deaths due to suicide or overdose from 2008 to 2018 included in the review. Overall, 70.9% had a documented psychiatric illness in their medical chart, with 48.1% having ≥2 psychiatric illnesses. However, only 34.5% (58/168) of these patients had documentation of taking psychotropic medication for their illness. Of those who died because of accidental or indeterminate substance overdose, 71.1% (138/194) had a known history of substance use disorder. Only 27.4% (43/157) of patients with a documented substance use disorder received medication-assisted treatment. Of those with substance overdose deaths, 42.9% had an opioid prescription, 44.3% had a benzodiazepine prescription, and 32.5% had a prescription for both. Prescription opioids were the most common substance found on postmortem toxicology report, and of these patients, 45.9% had a physician-prescribed opioid. CONCLUSION: Most pregnant individuals had documented significant risk factors for mental illness or substance use disorder; however, very few had documented pharmacologic therapy for their psychiatric or addiction illness. There is an urgent need to implement effective multidisciplinary health system mitigation strategies that address pregnancy and its intersection with behavioral health.

Genetic variants associated with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: The variable presentations and different phenotypes of sepsis suggest that risk of sepsis comes from many genes each having a small effect. The cumulative effect can be used to create individual risk profile. The purpose of this study was to create a polygenic risk score and determine the genetic variants associated with sepsis. METHODS: We sequenced ~14 million single nucleotide polymorphisms with a minimac imputation quality R2>0.3 and minor allele frequency >10-6 in patients with Sepsis-2 or Sepsis-3. Genome-wide association was performed using Firth bias-corrected logistic regression. Semi-parsimonious logistic regression was used to create polygenic risk scores and reduced regression to determine the genetic variants independently associated with sepsis. FINDINGS: 2261 patients had sepsis and 13,068 control patients did not. The polygenic risk scores had good discrimination: c-statistic = 0.752 ± 0.005 for Sepsis-2 and 0.752 ± 0.007 for Sepsis-3. We found 772 genetic variants associated with Sepsis-2 and 442 with Sepsis-3, p<0.01. After multivariate adjustment, 100 variants on 85 genes were associated with Sepsis-2 and 69 variants in 54 genes with Sepsis-3. Twenty-five variants were present in both the Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 groups out of 32 genes that were present in both groups. The other 7 genes had different variants present. Most variants had small effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 have both separate and shared genetic variants. Most genetic variants have small effects sizes, but cumulatively, the polygenic risk scores have good discrimination.

Frequency and Risk Factors for Difficult Intubation in Women Undergoing General Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Estimates for the incidence of difficult intubation in the obstetric population vary widely, although previous studies reporting rates of difficult intubation in obstetrics are older and limited by smaller samples. The goals of this study were to provide a contemporary estimate of the frequency of difficult and failed intubation in women undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean delivery and to elucidate risk factors for difficult intubation in women undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. METHODS: This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort study utilizing the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group database. The study population included women aged 15 to 44 yr undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean delivery between 2004 and 2019 at 1 of 45 medical centers. Coprimary outcomes included the frequencies of difficult and failed intubation. Difficult intubation was defined as Cormack-Lehane view of 3 or greater, three or more intubation attempts, rescue fiberoptic intubation, rescue supraglottic airway, or surgical airway. Failed intubation was defined as any attempt at intubation without successful endotracheal tube placement. The rates of difficult and failed intubation were assessed. Several patient demographic, anatomical, and obstetric factors were evaluated for potential associations with difficult intubation. RESULTS: This study identified 14,748 cases of cesarean delivery performed under general anesthesia. There were 295 cases of difficult intubation, with a frequency of 1:49 (95% CI, 1:55 to 1:44; n = 14,531). There were 18 cases of failed intubation, with a frequency of 1:808 (95% CI, 1:1,276 to 1:511; n = 14,537). Factors with the highest point estimates for the odds of difficult intubation included increased body mass index, Mallampati score III or IV, small hyoid-to-mentum distance, limited jaw protrusion, limited mouth opening, and cervical spine limitations. CONCLUSIONS: In this large, multicenter, contemporary study of more than 14,000 general anesthetics for cesarean delivery, an overall risk of difficult intubation of 1:49 and a risk of failed intubation of 1:808 were observed. Most risk factors for difficult intubation were nonobstetric in nature. These data demonstrate that difficult intubation in obstetrics remains an ongoing concern.

Labor prior to cesarean delivery associated with higher post-discharge opioid consumption.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute post-cesarean delivery (CD) pain has been associated with an increased risk for persistent pain and postpartum depression. Identification of women at increased risk for pain can be used to optimize post-cesarean analgesia. The impact of labor prior to CD (intrapartum CD) on acute post-operative pain and opioid use is unclear. We hypothesized that intrapartum CD, which has been associated with both increased inflammation and affective distress related to an unexpected surgical procedure, would result in higher postoperative pain scores and increased opioid intake. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study examining opioid use up to 2 weeks following CD. Women undergoing CD at six academic medical centers in the United States 9/2014-3/2016 were contacted by phone two weeks following discharge. Participants completed a structured interview that included questions about postoperative pain scores and opioid utilization. They were asked to retrospectively estimate their maximal pain score on an 11-point numeric rating scale at multiple time points, including day of surgery, during hospitalization, immediately after discharge, 1st week, and 2nd week following discharge. Pain scores over time were assessed utilizing a generalized linear mixed-effects model with the patient identifier being a random effect, adjusting for an a priori defined set of confounders. A multivariate negative binomial model was utilized to assess the association between intrapartum CD and opioid utilization after discharge, also adjusting for the same confounders. In the context of non-random prescription distribution, this model was constructed with an offset for the number of tablets dispensed. RESULTS: A total of 720 women were enrolled, 392 with and 328 without labor prior to CD. Patients with intrapartum CD were younger, less likely to undergo repeat CD or additional surgical procedures, and more likely to experience a complication of CD. Women with intrapartum CD consumed more opioid tablets following discharge than women without labor (median 20, IQR 10-30 versus 17, IQR 6-30; p = 0.005). This association persisted after adjustment for confounders (incidence rate ratio 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.29; p = 0.004). Pain scores on the day of surgery were higher in women with intrapartum CD (difference 0.91, 95% CI 0.52-1.30; adj. p = <0.001) even after adjustment for confounders. Pain scores at other time points were not meaningfully different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Intrapartum CD is associated with worse pain on the day of surgery but not other time points. Opioid requirements following discharge were modestly increased following intrapartum CD.

The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology Interdisciplinary Consensus Statement on Neuraxial Procedures in Obstetric Patients With Thrombocytopenia.

Because up to 12% of obstetric patients meet criteria for the diagnosis of thrombocytopenia in pregnancy, it is not infrequent that the anesthesiologist must decide whether to proceed with a neuraxial procedure in an affected patient. Given the potential morbidity associated with general anesthesia for cesarean delivery, thoughtful consideration of which patients with thrombocytopenia are likely to have an increased risk of spinal epidural hematoma with neuraxial procedures, and when these risks outweigh the relative benefits is important to consider and to inform shared decision making with patients. Because there are substantial risks associated with withholding a neuraxial analgesic/anesthetic procedure in obstetric patients, every effort should be made to perform a bleeding history assessment and determine the thrombocytopenia etiology before admission for delivery. Whereas multiple other professional societies (obstetric, interventional pain, and hematologic) have published guidelines addressing platelet thresholds for safe neuraxial procedures, the US anesthesia professional societies have been silent on this topic. Despite a paucity of high-quality data, there are now meta-analyses that provide better estimations of risks. An interdisciplinary taskforce was convened to unite the relevant professional societies, synthesize the data, and provide a practical decision algorithm to help inform risk-benefit discussions and shared decision making with patients. Through a systematic review and modified Delphi process, the taskforce concluded that the best available evidence indicates the risk of spinal epidural hematoma associated with a platelet count ≥70,000 × 106/L is likely to be very low in obstetric patients with thrombocytopenia secondary to gestational thrombocytopenia, immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the absence of other risk factors. Ultimately, the decision of whether to proceed with a neuraxial procedure in an obstetric patient with thrombocytopenia occurs within a clinical context. Potentially relevant factors include, but are not limited to, patient comorbidities, obstetric risk factors, airway examination, available airway equipment, risk of general anesthesia, and patient preference.

Maternal sepsis update.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Maternal sepsis is the second leading cause of maternal death in the United States. A significant number of these deaths are preventable and the purpose of this review is to highlight causes such as delays in recognition and early treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: Maternal sepsis can be difficult to diagnose due to significant overlap of symptoms and signs of normal physiological changes of pregnancy, and current screening tools perform poorly to identify sepsis in pregnant women. Surveillance should not only include during pregnancy, but also throughout the postpartum period, up to 42 days postpartum. Education and awareness to highlight this importance are not only vital for obstetric healthcare provides, but also for nonobstetric healthcare providers, patients, and support persons. SUMMARY: Through education and continual review and analysis of evidence-based practice, a reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality secondary to maternal sepsis should be attainable with dedication from all disciplines that care for obstetric and postpartum patients. Education and vigilance also extend to patients and support persons who should be empowered to escalate care when needed.

Management of Nephrolithiasis in Pregnancy: Multi-Disciplinary Guidelines From an Academic Medical Center.

Introduction: The management of nephrolithiasis during pregnancy can be stressful for urologists due to concerns for investigations and treatments that may pose risk of fetal harm, and unfamiliarity with optimal management of these complex patients. In response, we created multi-disciplinary evidence-based guidelines to standardize the care for obstetric patients presenting with flank pain and suspicion for nephrolithiasis. Methods: A multi-disciplinary team involving Urology, Obstetric Anesthesiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Diagnostic Radiology, and Interventional Radiology from a single academic medical center was assembled. A PubMed search was performed using keywords of pregnancy/antepartum, nephrolithiasis/calculi/kidney stones, ureteroscopy, non-obstetric surgery, complications, preterm delivery, MRI, computerized tomography, renal bladder ultrasound (RBUS), and anesthesia to identify relevant articles. Team members reviewed their respective areas to create a comprehensive set of guidelines. One invited external expert reviewed the guidelines for validation purposes. Results: A total of 54 articles were reviewed for evidence synthesis. Four guideline statements were constructed to guide diagnosis and imaging, and seven statements to guide intervention. Guidelines were then used to create a diagnostic and intervention flowchart for ease of use. In summary, RBUS should be the initial diagnostic study. If diagnostic uncertainty still exists, a non-contrast CT scan should be obtained. For obstetric patients presenting with a septic obstructing stone, urgent decompression should be achieved. We recommend ureteral stent placement as the preferred intervention if local factors allow. Conclusions: We present a standardized care pathway for the management of nephrolithiasis during pregnancy. Our aim is to standardize and simplify the clinical management of these complex scenarios for urologists.

User Perceptions of an Electronic Maternal Alerting System.

This survey study evaluates the user experience of an electronic maternal early warning system that generates automated pages. Survey domains included the system's effect on patient care, alarm fatigue, and continued use of the system. The response rate was 47.7% (273 of 572). A majority, 83%, felt that the system should remain in use, and 64.5% felt it improved patient safety. Of those who believed that they had received a page, 51.4% felt that they received pages "too frequently." Although alarm fatigue was not fully evaluated, providers on our unit support the continued use of this automated maternal electronic surveillance system.

Extracorporeal Life Support in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.

Background The use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has expanded to include unique populations such as peripartum women. This systematic review aims to (1) quantify the number of cases and indications for ECLS in women during the peripartum period reported in the literature and (2) report maternal and fetal complications and outcomes associated with peripartum ECLS. Methods and Results This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018108142). MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for case reports, case series, and studies reporting cases of ECLS during the peripartum period that reported one or more of the following outcomes: maternal survival, maternal complications, fetal survival, and/or fetal complications. Qualitative assessment of 221 publications evaluated the number of cases, clinical details, and maternal and fetal outcomes of ECLS during the peripartum period. There were 358 women included and 68 reported fetal outcomes in cases where the mother was pregnant at the time of cannulation. The aggregate maternal survival at 30 days was 270 (75.4%) and at 1 year was 266 (74.3%); fetal survival was 44 (64.7%). The most common indications for ECLS overall in pregnancy included acute respiratory distress syndrome 177 (49.4%), cardiac failure 67 (18.7%), and cardiac arrest 57 (15.9%). The most common maternal complications included mild to moderate bleeding 66 (18.4%), severe bleeding requiring surgical intervention 48 (13.4%), and intracranial neurologic morbidity 19 (5.3%). The most commonly reported fetal complications included preterm delivery 33 (48.5%) and neonatal intensive care unit admission 19 (27.9%). Conclusions Reported rates of survival in ECLS in pregnant and postpartum women are high and major complications relatively low.

Obstetric Anesthesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

With increasing numbers of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases due to efficient human-to-human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the United States, preparation for the unpredictable setting of labor and delivery is paramount. The priorities are 2-fold in the management of obstetric patients with COVID-19 infection or persons under investigation (PUI): (1) caring for the range of asymptomatic to critically ill pregnant and postpartum women; (2) protecting health care workers and beyond from exposure during the delivery hospitalization (health care providers, personnel, family members). The goal of this review is to provide evidence-based recommendations or, when evidence is limited, expert opinion for anesthesiologists caring for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on preparedness and best clinical obstetric anesthesia practice.

New persistent opioid use after acute opioid prescribing in pregnancy: a nationwide analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between opioid prescribing during pregnancy and new persistent opioid use in the year following delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This nationwide retrospective cohort study included patients aged 12-55 years in Optum's deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database who were undergoing vaginal delivery or cesarean delivery from 2008 to 2016, with continuous enrollment from 2 years before birth to 1 year postdischarge. Women were included if they were opioid naive in pregnancy (ie, did not fill an opioid prescription 2 years to 9 months before delivery) and did not undergo a procedure within the year after discharge. The exposure was filling an opioid prescription in pregnancy. The primary outcome was new persistent opioid use, defined as a pharmacy claim for ≥1 opioid prescription between 4 and 90 days postdischarge and ≥1 prescription between 91 and 365 days postdischarge. Clinical and demographic covariates were included. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for clinical and demographic covariates. RESULTS: Of 158,425 childbirths identified, 101,013 (63.8%) were by vaginal delivery and 57,412 (36.2%) cesarean delivery. Among all patients, 6.0% (9429) filled an opioid prescription during pregnancy. The factors associated with filling an opioid in pregnancy were having a nondelivery procedure in pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 9.60; 95% confidence interval, 8.81-10.47) and having an emergency room visit during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 2.37-2.59). Of women who received an opioid in pregnancy, 4% (379) developed new persistent opioid use. The factors most associated with new persistent opioid use were receiving an opioid prescription during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 3.45; 95% confidence interval, 3.04-3.92) and filling a peripartum opioid prescription (1 week prior to 3 days postdischarge) adjusted odds ratio, 2.28, 95% confidence interval (2.02-2.57). Though having a procedure during pregnancy was associated with increased receipt of an opioid prescription, it was also associated with reduced new persistent opioid use (adjusted odds ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.99). CONCLUSION: Women who receive an opioid prescription during pregnancy are more likely to experience new persistent opioid use. Maternity care providers must balance pain management in pregnancy with potential risks of opioids.