Survey of COVID-19 Vaccine Attitudes in Predominately Minority Pregnant Women.

OBJECTIVES: Despite recommendations for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination during pregnancy, some pregnant women are concerned about COVID-19 vaccines and decline to be vaccinated. This study focuses on attitudes in a sample of mostly minority pregnant Hispanic and Black women that may influence vaccine hesitancy. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of 400 pregnant women. Participants were provided with a one-page information sheet on pregnancy health, COVID-19 health, and COVID-19 vaccines. They were then asked to complete a survey on attitudes about these topics. RESULTS: We found that attitudes for knowing about the health topics were in the range from agree to strongly agree, whereas attitudes for knowing about topics pertaining to COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines were in a lower-level range from neutral to agree. Negative vaccine attitudes were significantly associated with decreased agreement for knowing about health attitudes, but not significantly associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccine attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 vaccine mRNA technology was a lesser understood topic than attitudes for knowing about other health topics. This finding suggests the need for physician intervention and that further education about COVID-19 vaccine mRNA technology may influence patient attitudes toward acceptance of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in pregnancy.

Intraperitoneal therapy as consolidation for patients with ovarian cancer and negative reassessment after platinum-based chemotherapy.

Although three large phase III trials have documented the benefit of IP chemotherapy, this therapy as consolidation has been studied in only a few pilot studies. These small studies have included patients with a variety of baseline prognostic characteristics, and only one series had a comparator group of surgically documented pathologic complete response to uniform systemic chemotherapy. No randomized trials have been done to assess the impact of IP consolidation on progression-free survival or survival in either positively or negatively reassessed patients. It is hoped that the current experience will trigger further consideration of future phase III trials to assess the value of IP consolidation after initial induction with chemotherapy (ie, chemical debulking).

Posterior atlantoaxial stabilization: new alternative to C1-2 transarticular screws.

OBJECT: Surgical treatment of atlantoaxial instability has evolved to include various posterior wiring techniques including Brooks, Gallie, and Sonntag fusions in which success rates range from 60 to 100%. The Magerl-Seemans technique in which C1-2 transarticular screws are placed results in fusion rates between 87 and 100%. This procedure is technically demanding and requires precise knowledge of the course of the vertebral arteries (VAs). The authors introduce a new C1-2 fixation procedure in which C-1 lateral mass and C-2 pedicle screws are placed that may have advantages over C1-2 transarticular screw constructs. METHODS: A standard posterior C1-2 exposure is obtained. Polyaxial C-2 pedicle screws and C-1 lateral mass screws are placed bilaterally. Rods are connected to the screws and secured using locking nuts. A cross-link is then placed. Fusion can be performed at the atlantoaxial joint by elevating the C-2 nerve root. The technique for this procedure has been used in four cases of atlantoaxial instability at the author's institution. There have been no C-2 nerve root- or VA-related injuries. No cases of construct failure have been observed in the short-term follow up period. CONCLUSIONS: Atlantoaxial lateral mass and axial pedicle screw fixation offers an alternative means of achieving atlantoaxial fusion. The technique is less demanding than that required for transarticular screw placement and may avoid the potential complication of VA injury. The cross-linked construct is theoretically stable in flexion, extension, and rotation. Laminectomy or fracture of the posterior elements does not preclude use of this fixation procedure.