Identification of peripartum near-miss for perinatal audit.

INTRODUCTION: Today, perinatal audit focuses basically on cases of perinatal mortality. In most centres in Western Europe, perinatal mortality is low. Identification of metabolic acidosis at birth may increase index cases eligible for evaluation of perinatal care, and this might improve quality of perinatal audit. The aim of this study is to assess the incidence of metabolic acidosis at birth in order to estimate its impact on perinatal audit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cord blood was analysed for every neonate born between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012 in Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk. Acidosis was defined as an umbilical arterial pH ≤ 7.05 with or without a venous pH ≤ 7.17. Respiratory acidosis (RA) was defined as acidosis with normal base excess, and metabolic acidosis (MA) was defined as acidosis with an arterial or venous base excess ≤ -10 mmol/L. In case of failed cord blood sampling, 5 minute Apgar score ≤ 6 was considered as the clinical equivalent of MA. Retrospective chart review of obstetric and paediatric files was performed for all cases of MA, together with review of paediatric follow-up charts from at least 6 months after birth. Perinatal asphyxia was defined as biochemical evidence for MA at birth, associated with early onset neonatal encephalopathy and long-term symptoms of cerebral palsy. RESULTS: In a total of 6614 babies, perinatal death up to 7 days of life occurred in 40 babies (6.0‰). Acidosis was present in 183 neonates (2.8%), of which 130 (2.0%) had RA and 53 (0.8%) had MA. Of the 173 neonates with unknown pH values, 6 had Apgar scores ≤ 6. Of 59 babies born with MA or its clinical equivalent, 52 (88.1%) showed no neurologic symptoms at birth. Two (3.4%) died in the early neonatal period, one after abruptio placentae and one due to chorioamnionitis and severe prematurity. Five (8.5%) MA babies had symptoms of early onset neonatal encephalopathy, which recovered in three (5.1%), and persisted long-term in two others (3.4%). The two babies with cerebral palsy (prevalence 1/3300) were both born after instrumental vaginal delivery for foetal distress. CONCLUSION: In our study cohort, the incidence of perinatal mortality is 6‰. The incidence of metabolic acidosis is 9‰. Addition of cases of metabolic acidosis to those of mortality doubles index cases eligible for perinatal audit. The incidence of babies surviving with cerebral palsy after metabolic acidosis at birth is very low (0.3‰). Our results suggest that instrumental delivery for foetal distress might be a risk factor for metabolic acidosis with persisting neurologic dysfunction. Our study illustrates that identification of peripartum near-miss is useful for perinatal audit.

Identification of neonatal near miss by systematic screening for metabolic acidosis at birth.

AIMS: To evaluate the relevance of systematic screening for neonatal metabolic acidosis at birth as part of perinatal audit. METHODS: For every baby, born in Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg, Genk Belgium between 1/1/2010 and 31/12/2010, cord blood was analysed to diagnose metabolic acidosis, defined as arterial or venous pH ≤ 7.05 or 7.17 respectively, in association with base excess of ≤ -10 mmol/L. Three observers identified indicators for suboptimal peripartal care with likely contribution to metabolic acidosis. In a multidisciplinary consensus meeting, these indicators were classified into 5 categories : (a) fetal monitoring error (b) labour management error, (c) instrumental vaginal delivery for fetal distress within 2 h of second stage, (d) non-obstetric medical complications, (e) preterm births or accidental cases at term. RESULTS: In a total of 2117 neonates, there were 11 intra-uterine, 1 intrapartum and 3 early neonatal deaths, bringing early perinatal mortality rate at 7.1‰. Metabolic acidosis was identified in 23 (1.1%) babies, of which 21 (91.3%) left hospital in good clinical condition. Two babies (0.9‰), born in category c, had chronic neurologic symptoms. DISCUSSION: Systematic screening for neonatal metabolic acidosis caused a 2.5-fold increase of case identifications eligible for perinatal audit and opened perspectives towards rationalised improvement of perinatal care, in addition to the information obtained from cases of perinatal mortality. Next to indicators of perinatal mortality, perinatal audit programs should include neonatal metabolic acidosis as an extra parameter for quality assessment of perinatal care. CONCLUSION: Adding cases of near-miss neonatal morbidity to perinatal mortalities in perinatal audit programs increases opportunities for improvement of perinatal care.

Understanding rising caesarean section trends: relevance of inductions and prelabour obstetric interventions at term.

AIMS: Single center 10-years audit on the relation between labour ward management and caesarean section rate, with special emphasis on the impact of reduced induction rate and the use of strict criteria for the diagnosis of onset of spontaneous labour and the indication for induction of labour. METHODS: Retrospective classification of all deliveries between 1st January 2001 and 31st December 2010 in Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg, Genk Belgium, into the 10- group classification according to Robson. Numbers and rate of caesarean sections were defined for primiparous and multiparous women in spontaneous labour (groups 1 and 3 respectively), after induced labour (groups 2 and 4 respectively), with caesarean scar uterus (group 5) or with other gestational complications (groups 6 to 10). For these groups, a 10-years evolution was evaluated. RESULTS: In a total of 19.675 deliveries, the overall caesarean section rate increased from 20% (380/1937) in 2001 to 25% (534/2121) in 2007 (p < 0.001), and decreased again to 20% in 2010 (415/2068) (p < 0.001). The increase of caesarean sections before 2007 was associated with an increase of inductions in singleton cephalic pregnancies at term from 28.5% (410/1437) in 2003 to 35.9% (551/1536) in 2006 (p < 0.001). The decrease of caesarean sections after 2007 occurred both in induced labours, as a direct consequence of rationalised reduction of induction rate, and in spontaneous labours, following introduction of strict criteria for diagnosis of labour. Despite a similar caesarean section rate of 20% in 2001 and 2010, the 6.6% (136/2068) repeat caesarean section rate in 2010 was higher than 4.2% (81/1937) in 2001 (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This single centre audit illustrates that increased induction rate is associated with increased caesarean section rate. This evolution can be reverted through a rationalised management aiming for reduction of induced labours and improved diagnosis of labour.