Time to consider ovarian tissue cryopreservation for girls with Turner's syndrome: an opinion paper.

Turner's syndrome (TS) is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women. In addition to short stature and gonadal dysgenesis, it is associated with cardiac and renal anomalies. Due to rapid follicular atresia, the majority of women with TS suffer from primary ovarian insufficiency around puberty. Thus far, donor oocyte conception has been the key fertility option for these women. With advancing technology, ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTCP) has emerged as a clinically justifiable option especially for pre-pubertal girls with cancer. Recently published results following the use of cryopreserved ovarian tissue are reassuring. It would be prudent to consider the extension of these technological and scientific advances to other conditions, such as TS, where accelerated follicular atresia is suspected. It is possible to obtain competent oocytes from cryopreserved ovaries of girls with TS provided the ovaries were preserved before ovarian failure. However, it is a complex decision whether and when to offer OTCP as a fertility preservation (FP) option for girls with TS. The rate of decline in fertility is variable in girls with TS and can be more complex in cases with mosaicism. On the other hand, OTCP has shown some promising results in patients with cancer, which can potentially be replicated in TS and other benign indications of patients at risk of premature ovarian failure. There are proven psychological and clinical benefits of FP. Thus, an argument could be made for offering OTCP to these patients to endow these girls with the option of having biological fertility using this innovative technology. Ethical, clinical and psychological dilemmas should be considered, discussed and addressed before considering such a novel approach. We believe that the time has come to start this discussion and open this avenue of FP for girls with TS.

Strategies to improve fertilisation rates with assisted conception: a systematic review.

Successful fertilisation is one of the key steps determining success of assisted conception. Various factors including sperm or oocyte pathology and environmental factors have a significant impact on fertilisation rates. This systematic review is aimed to evaluate the existing evidence about factors affecting fertilisation and strategies to improve fertilisation rates. A literature search was performed using Ovid MEDLINE ® (Jan 1950-April 2016), EMBASE (Jan 1950-April 2016), Ovid OLDMEDLINE ®, Pre-MEDLINE (Jan 1950-April 2016) and the Cochrane Library. Relevant key words were used to combine sets of results and a total 243 papers were screened. Only qualitative analysis was performed, as there was major heterogeneity in study design and methodology for quantitative synthesis. Factors affecting fertilisation were divided into sperm- and oocyte-related factors. The methods to improve fertilisation rates were grouped together based on the approach used to improve fertilisation rates. Optimising laboratory condition and procedural effects in techniques is associated with improved fertilisation rates. Various techniques are described to improve fertilisation rates including assisted oocyte activation, physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI) and intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI). This review highlights the promising strategies under research to enhance fertilisation rates. Adequately powered multicentre randomised trials are required to evaluate these techniques before considering clinical application.

Effective treatment protocol for poor ovarian response: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Poor ovarian response represents an increasingly common problem. This systematic review was aimed to identify the most effective treatment protocol for poor response. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library from 1980 to October 2015. Study quality assessment and meta-analyses were performed according to the Cochrane recommendations. We found 61 trials including 4997 cycles employing 10 management strategies. Most common strategy was the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRHant), and was compared with GnRH agonist protocol (17 trials; n = 1696) for pituitary down-regulation which showed no significant difference in the outcome. Luteinizing hormone supplementation (eight trials, n = 847) showed no difference in the outcome. Growth hormone supplementation (seven trials; n = 251) showed significant improvement in clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.13 (95% CI 1.06-4.28) and 2.96 (95% CI 1.17-7.52). Testosterone supplementation (three trials; n = 225) significantly improved CPR (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.16-5.04) and LBR (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.01-4.68). Aromatase inhibitors (four trials; n = 223) and dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation (two trials; n = 57) had no effect on outcome.

Employee engagement within the NHS: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Employee engagement is the emotional commitment of the employee towards the organisation. We aimed to analyse baseline work engagement using Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) at a teaching hospital. METHODS: We have conducted a cross-sectional study within the National Health Service (NHS) Teaching Hospital in the UK. All participants were working age population from both genders directly employed by the hospital. UWES has three constituting dimensions of work engagement as vigor, dedication, and absorption. We conducted the study using UWES-9 tool. Outcome measures were mean score for each dimension of work engagement (vigor, dedication, absorption) and total score compared with control score from test manual. RESULTS: We found that the score for vigor and dedication is significantly lower than comparison group (P< 0.0001 for both). The score for absorption was significantly higher than comparison group (P< 0.0001). However, total score is not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The study shows that work engagement level is below average within the NHS employees. Vigor and dedication are significantly lower, these are characterised by energy, mental resilience, the willingness to invest one's effort, and persistence as well as a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and challenge. The NHS employees are immersed in work. Urgent need to explore strategies to improve work engagement as it is vital for improving productivity, safety and patient experience.

Knowledge, skills and attitude of evidence-based medicine among obstetrics and gynaecology trainees: a questionnaire survey.

OBJECTIVES: To determine current evidence-based medicine skills and practice among trainees. DESIGN: Questionnaire study. SETTING: Electronic survey was sent to all obstetrics and gynaecology trainees in East Midlands South Deanery, and responses collected were anonymous. PARTICIPANTS: All obstetrics and gynaecology trainees in East Midland South Deanery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported attitude, skills and knowledge in various components of evidence-based medicine. RESULTS: 69 trainees were included in the study of which 35 responded. Among all respondents, almost 72% of trainees use non-evidence-based methods to find answers for their clinical questions, whereas only 18% use appropriate evidence-based medicine practice for such queries. Just 35% of trainees have minimum skills of literature searching. Most of the trainees struggle to understand various components of evidence-based medicine. Nearly 80% of trainees do not have formal education or training with regard to evidence-based medicine. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the inadequacy of evidence-based medicine skills among trainees and urges that evidence-based medicine be incorporated in formal training along with specialty study modules.

The combined use of antimullerian hormone and age to predict the ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in poor responders: A novel approach.

CONTEXT: Reduced ovarian response to stimulation represents one of the most intractable problems in infertility treatment. As failed cycle can cause considerable amount of emotional and economical loss, there are various attempts made to predict ovarian response. AIMS: To evaluate different factors influencing outcome of assisted reproduction in women with predicted reduced response (antimullerian hormone between 1 and 5 pmol/L) and to develop a model using of AMH and age to predict the number of oocytes in poor responders. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Retrospective study in a teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 85 cycles (57 women) with predicted reduced response with serum AMH value between 1 and 5 pmol/L. Standard ovarian stimulation protocol was used. Primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rates and oocytes retrieved. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed using Microsoft excel and MetlabR software. RESULTS: Clinical pregnancy rate/ET was 20.33%, in this group. AMH and age was analyzed using linear regression model which produced an equation to give predicted oocyte count if AMH and age are known. (Oocytes = age × (-ß) + Serum AMH × α) (Constant ß=0.0102 and α = 1.0407). CONCLUSIONS: Combined use of serum AMH and age to predict ovarian response within reduced responder group should be further evaluated. For first time, we suggested combining both factors to predict ovarian response using a simple equation which allow developing tailored strategy.