Provider adherence to aspirin prophylaxis prescription guidelines for preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate provider adherence to aspirin prophylaxis prescription guidelines for patients at risk. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review was performed at Henry Ford Health (HFH) between October 2015 and December 2020. In October 2015, low-dose aspirin was recommended for women who met high risk criteria for preeclampsia at HFH; in February 2019, aspirin recommendation expanded to include women who met either moderate or high-risk criteria. A total of 46,016 pregnancies occurred between Oct 2015 and Dec 2020 of which 15,167 (33.0%) met high and moderate risk criteria. RESULTS: From the population at risk, 1,255 (8.3%) had a history of preeclampsia, 2,534 (16.7%) had a history of chronic hypertension, 1,418 (9.3%) had a history of diabetes, 7,470 (49.3%) were nulliparous, 4,038 (26.6%) were 35 years of age or older, 6,395 (42.2%) had a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2, and 8,174 (54.5%) were African Americans. Only 630 out of 3,584 (17.6%) of women meeting the high-risk criteria for preeclampsia between Oct 2015 and Jan 2019 received low-dose aspirin and only 891 out of 5,874 (15.2%) of women meeting the high or moderate risk criteria for preeclampsia between Feb 2019 and Dec 2020 received low-dose aspirin prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Adherence to aspirin prophylaxis guidelines was low. Most urban healthcare systems serve diverse, high-risk populations with multiple comorbidities rendering many women at risk for preeclampsia. Educational efforts to improve provider knowledge regarding this important preventative measure are indicated. Recommendation for implementing universal aspirin in such high-risk populations should also be considered.

Efficacy and Safety of Aspirin 162 mg for Preeclampsia Prophylaxis in High-Risk Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of aspirin 162 mg to the standard recommended dose of 81 mg for preeclampsia prevention. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of patients at risk for preeclampsia who delivered between January 2013 and December 2020 at Henry Ford Health was performed. Patients were divided into three groups: a no aspirin group, a group treated under an 81 mg aspirin preeclampsia prophylaxis protocol, and a group treated under a 162 mg protocol. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses compared rates of preeclampsia and secondary outcomes between groups. Clinical side effects traditionally associated with aspirin use were also assessed. RESULTS: Of 3,597 patients, 2,266 (63%) were in the no aspirin group, 944 (26%) were in the 81 mg group, and 387 (11%) were in the 162 mg group. The rate of preeclampsia was significantly lower in the 162 mg group (10.1%, odds ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.99) compared with the 81 mg group (14.2%). The rate of preeclampsia was identical in the no aspirin and 81 mg groups. The rate for postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum hematoma, and intraventricular hemorrhage of the newborn were not significantly different between patients in the 162 and 81 mg groups. CONCLUSION: We observed a significantly lower rate of preeclampsia in high-risk patients who were treated with the 162 mg dose of aspirin for preeclampsia prophylaxis, and bleeding complications were not seen with the higher dose. Our study suggests that aspirin 162 mg may be considered for prophylaxis in patients at high risk for preeclampsia. KEY POINTS: · Aspirin 81 mg is currently standard for preeclampsia prophylaxis.. · Preeclampsia rate is significantly lower among high-risk patients taking aspirin 162 mg compared with 81 mg.. · Bleeding complications are not increased among those taking aspirin 162 mg..

The Relationship between Food Security and Gestational Diabetes among Pregnant Women.

The objective were to: (1) evaluate associations between food security and women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and (2) evaluate if women in food insecure (FI) households had adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. This was an observational study from October 2018 until September 2019. Postpartum resident clinic patients who delivered term, singleton infant at 37 weeks' or longer gestation were screened. Participants completed a survey using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (US HFSSM). Survey responses were classified as: food secure (FS) and FI (marginal, low, very low FS). The primary outcome was GDM. Our secondary outcome was neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions for hypoglycemia. We evaluated the rate of GDM in FS and FI groups. Demographic data included: prepregnancy body mass index, total weight gain during pregnancy, birth weight, and mode of delivery. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between food insecurity and GDM. A p -value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. There were 150 patients screened to participate; of these, 70 patients were enrolled (36 GDM and 34 without GDM [NGDM]). More patients in FI households, 71% ( n = 17), were diagnosed with GDM, compared with 33% ( n = 15) in the FS (FS) households (adjusted odds ratio 7.05; p < 0.01). Of patients who reported FI, 50% ( n = 12) were black, 46% ( n = 11) Hispanic, and 4% ( n = 1) Caucasian, compared with 13% ( n = 6) black, 30% ( n = 14) Hispanic, and 57% ( n = 26) Caucasian in patients who reported FS ( p < 0.001). Although not significant, 25% ( n = 6) of neonates from an FI household had an NICU admission for hypoglycemia compared with 7% ( n = 3) from an FS household ( p = 0.054). Pregnant women with GDM are more likely to experience FI than those with NGDM. Infants of mothers in FI households also had increased rates of NICU admission for hypoglycemia.

Expectant management of a heterotopic interstitial pregnancy - a case report.

Heterotopic pregnancy is the simultaneous occurrence of two pregnancies at two different implantation sites, mostly intrauterine and extrauterine sites. An interstitial ectopic pregnancy as part of a heterotopic pregnancy is very rare. This report highlights the case of a 40-year-old woman with heterotopic pregnancy who had conceived via assisted reproductive technology. The patient had an interstitial ectopic pregnancy and a viable intrauterine pregnancy. She was treated expectantly and had cesarean delivery of the intrauterine pregnancy at 38 weeks of gestation. Although management options for heterotopic pregnancies include surgical and medical, it may be reasonable to consider expectant management for select cases while weighing risks. In such cases, close monitoring of symptoms and serial ultrasound examinations should be standard.

Babesiosis in Pregnancy: An Imitator of HELLP Syndrome.

HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) is a serious pregnancy complication that can cause significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. There are several conditions that may occur in pregnancy that may imitate the laboratory findings and clinical presentation of HELLP syndrome. Babesiosis is a parasitic imitator of HELLP syndrome that can be spread by the tick, transfusions, or congenitally. Recognition and treatment of this condition is important to optimize maternal and fetal outcomes.

Placental Chorangiosis: Increased Risk for Cesarean Section.

We describe a patient with Class C diabetes who presented for nonstress testing at 36 weeks and 4 days of gestation with nonreassuring fetal heart tones (NRFHT) and oligohydramnios. Upon delivery, thrombosis of the umbilical cord was grossly noted. Pathological analysis of the placenta revealed chorangiosis, vascular congestion, and 40% occlusion of the umbilical vein. Chorangiosis is a vascular change of the placenta that involves the terminal chorionic villi. It has been proposed to result from longstanding, low-grade hypoxia in the placental tissue and has been associated with such conditions such as diabetes, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and hypertensive conditions in pregnancy. To characterize chorangiosis and its associated obstetric outcomes we identified 61 cases of "chorangiosis" on placental pathology at Henry Ford Hospital from 2010 to 2015. Five of these cases were omitted due to lack of complete records. Among the 56 cases, the cesarean section rate was 51%, indicated in most cases for nonreassuring fetal status. Thus, we suggest that chorangiosis, a marker of chronic hypoxia, is associated with increased rates of cesarean sections for nonreassuring fetal status because of long standing hypoxia coupled with the stress of labor.

Recurrence after robotic myomectomy: is it associated with use of GnRH agonist?

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy is used before myomectomy to decrease the size of the fibroids, but its association with fibroid recurrence postoperatively remains unsettled. We undertook a retrospective study of robotic-assisted myomectomy (RM) patients at our academic medical center to determine symptomatic recurrence and reoperation rates in those who did versus did not receive preoperative GnRH therapy. Only patients, who had their index myomectomy at least 2 years prior to the chart review, were included in this study. Of 118 RM patients identified between January 2005 and December 2009, 17 patients (14.4 %) had symptomatic recurrence as early as 5 months to as late as 30 months postoperatively. The symptomatic recurrence group had significantly higher preoperative GnRH use (35 vs 9 % non-recurrence; p = 0.009). A total of 7.6 % of all patients underwent reoperation. GnRH agonist use was significantly higher in the reoperation group (56 vs 9 % no reoperation; p = 0.002). Cavity entry during the initial surgery was also more frequent in the reoperation group (56 vs 20 %; p = 0.030), whereas the presence of multiple fibroids, size of the largest leiomyoma, and uterine volume were not statistically different between groups. Our study is among the earliest to report RM reoperation rates in patients receiving preoperative GnRH therapy, showing that the role of GnRH agonist therapy to shrink myomas may not be beneficial when measured against risk of disease recurrence.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Resembling Severe Preeclampsia in Pregnancy.

Although colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in women, it is a rare malignancy in pregnancy. Symptoms of CRC such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, rectal bleeding, anemia, altered bowel habits, and abdominal mass are often considered typical symptoms of pregnancy. Many cases of CRC are diagnosed in advanced stages due to missed warning signs of CRC, which may be misinterpreted as normal symptoms related to pregnancy. This report reviews 2 cases of CRC diagnosed within a 4-month interval at our institution. Both cases were initially thought to be atypical presentations of preeclampsia. Prenatal history, hospital course, and postpartum course were reviewed for both patients. CRC is often diagnosed at advanced stages in pregnancy. Common physiological symptoms of pregnancy should be scrutinized carefully and worked up appropriately, especially if symptoms remain persistent or increase in intensity or severity.