Conversion of Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine abstract presentations to manuscript publications.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the rate of conversion of Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) annual meeting abstract presentations to full manuscript publications over time. STUDY DESIGN: Full manuscript publications corresponding to all SMFM oral abstracts 2003 through 2010 inclusive, and SMFM poster abstracts in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 were manually searched in PubMed. An abstract was considered to "match" a full publication if the abstract and publication titles as well as main methods and results were similar and the abstract first author was a publication author. In cases of uncertainty, the abstract-publication match was reviewed by a second physician researcher. Time to publication, publication rates over time, and publication rates among US vs non-US authors were examined. PubMed identification numbers were also collected to determine if >1 abstract contributed to a manuscript. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum, analysis of variance, t test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: In all, 3281 abstracts presented at SMFM over the study period, including 629 orals (63 main plenary, 64 fellows plenary, 502 concurrent), were reviewed. Of 3281, 1780 (54.3%) were published, generating 1582 unique publications. Oral abstracts had a consistently higher rate of conversion to publications vs posters (77.1% vs 48.8%, P < .001). The median time to publication was 19 (interquartile range, 9-36) months, and was significantly shorter for orals vs posters (11 vs 21 months, P < .001). Over the study period, rates of publication of orals remained constant, but rates of publication of posters were lower in 2007 and 2009 compared to 2003 and 2005. Publications related to SMFM abstracts were published in 194 different journals, most commonly American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (39.8%), Obstetrics and Gynecology (9.7%), and Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (6.5%). Publication rates were higher if the abstract's first author was affiliated with a non-US institution (64.8% vs 51.1%, P < .001) and if the abstract received an award (82.7% vs 53.3%, P < .001). In regression models, oral presentation at SMFM, first author affiliation with a non-US institution, submission for American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology SMFM special issue, and year of abstract presentation at SMFM were associated with full manuscript publication. CONCLUSION: From 2003 through 2010, full manuscript publication rates of SMFM abstracts were high and consistent, and time to publication decreased/improved across the study period for oral presentations.

Risk factors predictive of right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device implantation.

Right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation appears to be associated with increased mortality. However, the determination of which patients are at greater risk of developing postoperative RVF remains controversial and relatively unknown. We sought to determine the preoperative risk factors for the development of RVF after LVAD implantation. The data were obtained for 175 consecutive patients who had received an LVAD. RVF was defined by the need for inhaled nitric oxide for >/=48 hours or intravenous inotropes for >14 days and/or right ventricular assist device implantation. An RVF risk score was developed from the beta coefficients of the independent variables from a multivariate logistic regression model predicting RVF. Destination therapy (DT) was identified as the indication for LVAD implantation in 42% of our patients. RVF after LVAD occurred in 44% of patients (n = 77). The mortality rates for patients with RVF were significantly greater at 30, 180, and 365 days after implantation compared to patients with no RVF. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, 3 preoperative factors were significantly associated with RVF after LVAD implantation: (1) a preoperative need for intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, (2) increased pulmonary vascular resistance, and (3) DT. The developed RVF risk score effectively stratified the risk of RV failure and death after LVAD implantation. In conclusion, given the progressively growing need for DT, the developed RVF risk score, derived from a population with a large percentage of DT patients, might lead to improved patient selection and help stratify patients who could potentially benefit from early right ventricular assist device implantation.