Immigration and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in an Italian Free Care Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: The ever-increasing wave of immigration in Italy has posed demanding challenges in the management of the new multiethnic obstetric population. The aim of this study was to compare pregnancy and perinatal outcomes between immigrants and the native population in an Italian public hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Singleton pregnant women (≥ 24 weeks of gestation) who delivered during a 3-year period in an Italian free care hospital were included. Long-term (≥ 2 years of residence) immigrant patients were divided into 4 groups according to their ethnic origin: Europeans, Asians, Latin Americans, and Africans. Perinatal indicators of obstetric outcomes were collected and compared between immigrants and Italians. RESULTS: Of the 3556 patients included, 1092 were immigrants and 2464 Italians. The immigrant cohort experienced a higher rate of macrosomia (1.8% vs 0.6%; p = 0.001), very low birth weight (1.3% vs 0.6%; p = 0.048), very early preterm delivery (1.4% vs 0.4%; p = 0.048), and gestational diabetes mellitus (1.8% vs 0.5%; p = 003) compared with the native population. The overall rate of cesarean sections was greater among Italians (56% vs 45.8%; p < 0.001). Among ethnic groups, Europeans and Latin Americans reported a higher rate of preterm delivery (20.2% and 19%, respectively; p < 0.001). Latin Americans carried also a greater risk of fetal macrosomia (3.6%; p < 0.008), while the rate of very low birth weight was higher among Europeans and Africans (2% and 1.8%, respectively; p < 0.04). CONCLUSION: Obstetricians should pay special attention to the potential disparities in pregnancy outcomes between immigrants and the native population. Future efforts should focus on reducing preterm delivery and glucose dysmetabolism among pregnant immigrants.

Shock parameters and shock index during severe post-partum haemorrhage and implications for management: a clinical study.

The aim of this study was to report the association between shock severity, laboratory parameters and treatment in patients with severe post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) requiring the transfusion of ≥4 blood unit. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) conservative therapy and (2) emergency post-partum hysterectomy. The aggressive decision was always shared by two consultants. Out of 26,094 deliveries, severe PPH occurred in 34 (0.13%) women, emergency post-partum hysterectomy was required in 13 (0.05%), while 21 (0.08%) were treated conservatively. Grade of shock, shock index (SI) and the number of blood units transfused were significantly higher in the hysterectomy group. No statistically significant difference among the two groups was observed for haemoglobin and coagulation results. The severity of shock was associated with the therapeutic choice in the treatment of severe PPH. Therefore, grade of shock and SI should be taken into consideration by the leading obstetrician in the decision making process toward the emergency hysterectomy.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Primary post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal death in developing and industrialised countries. Emergency post-partum hysterectomy is considered a life-saving procedure performed when the women is experiencing a life-threatening haemorrhage.What the results of this study add? Therapeutic dichotomy between conservative and aggressive approach in severe PPH has not been defined, in particular emergency post-partum hysterectomy timing. Shock index (SI) has been proposed as an indicator of adverse maternal outcome. However, the association between shock parameters and advanced treatment modalities has not yet been reported. In our study, grade of shock, SI and the number of blood units transfused were significantly higher in the patients which needed hysterectomy suggesting that it may have a role in the decision making among conservative and aggressive treatment. No statistically significant difference was observed for haemoglobin and coagulation results.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Grade of shock and SI should be taken into consideration in the decision making process toward the emergency hysterectomy in severe PPH. The choice between conservative and aggressive treatment should be based on hemodynamic parameters that may represent, in more accurate way, the severity of blood loss. Nevertheless, these data need further confirmation in a larger study.

A complicated pregnancy in homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia treated with lipoprotein apheresis: A case report.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: During pregnancy total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels increase significantly and lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is considered the most effective therapy in homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) for modulating lipid and lipoprotein levels and reducing maternal and foetal complications. CLINICAL CASE: A primigravida 28 years old Caucasian female patient, previously diagnosed as to be HoFH, was admitted at our outpatient service at the beginning of pregnancy. METHODS: The patient was continuously submitted to LA every two weeks without foetal complication. During pregnancy two methods have been utilised: selective apheresis, and later plasma exchange. At 33 weeks gestational age the patient developed progressively hypertension, associated to LDL-C levels increase. Weekly LA was favoured. RESULTS: At 34 weeks +5 days patient suddenly experienced acute chest pain and abnormal electrocardiogram heart tracing and cardiac enzymes increase. An emergency caesarean section was performed without complications and the foetus was healthy. The patient was immediately transferred to Coronary Intensive Care Unit, where she was diagnosed non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Notwithstanding the patient improved in few days and was quickly discharged in fair clinical condition. CONCLUSIONS: LA is a safe and effective tool in HoFH subjects even in pregnancy. Evidence based guidelines for the management of these patients during pregnancy are still lacking.

A successful term pregnancy with severe hypertriglyceridaemia and acute pancreatitis. Clinical management and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Acute hyperlipidaemic pancreatitis (HP) may develop in pregnancy in patients with genetic predisposition. There are no accepted guidelines for the management of this rare but life-threatening condition in pregnancy. Plasma exchange (PEX) was suggested as a suitable option to treat HP in pregnancy; however, further evidence from case reports/case series are needed. METHODS: Three PEX procedures (2000 ml of plasma replaced with 5% albumin) were performed in one week in a pregnant patient at 25 weeks of gestational age with severe HP. Triglyceride related genes (LPL, APOA5, APOE, GPIHBP1, GPD1, LMF1, CREB3L3) were screened by DNA sequencing. Medline and Embase databases were searched electronically in January 2018 using different combinations of the relevant medical subject headings for "pancreatitis in pregnancy" and "therapeutic apheresis". RESULTS: Gene profiling assessed a combined heterozygous state for the variants pSer19Trp of the APOA5 gene and pCys130Arg of the APOE (allele E4) gene. PEX led to significant and progressive reduction of triglyceride plasma levels along with cholesterol and C-reactive protein. Meanwhile a fast improvement of pregnant clinical condition was observed. This allowed the delivery at term of a healthy newborn without gestational complications. An outcome hardly achievable in patients managed exclusively by a pharmacological approach. CONCLUSIONS: PEX led to a positive maternal outcome in absence of foetal and gestational complications in a case of severe HP in pregnancy. As clinical trials are lacking, case reports still represent the best way to reasonably implement clinical management of this rare but life-threatening disease.

New-onset ulcerative colitis in pregnancy associated to toxic megacolon and sudden fetal decompensation: Case report and literature review.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease rarely arising during gestation. Because the available information is based on case reports or small retrospective studies, diagnosis may be difficult and treatment is still controversial. A case of toxic megacolon developing in late pregnancy associated to a sudden fetal decompensation is described. Diagnostic and clinical topics of acute UC onset in pregnancy are debated.A primipara, 34 years old, 33/0 weeks of gestation, was admitted with a diagnosis of preterm labor, associated to acute bloody diarrhea (up to 10 daily motions) and cramping abdominal pain. A diagnosis of new-onset early-stage UC was made by sigmoidoscopy. An intensive care regimen including hydrocortisone, antibiotics and parenteral nutrition was immediately started. Magnetic resonance imaging of maternal abdomen, fostered by the worsening patient conditions, evidenced dilatation of the entire colon and a severely hampered of fetal muscular tone.Toxic megacolon complicated by superimposed Clostridium difficile infection was associated to a sudden fetal decompensation diagnosed by chance during maternal abdominal magnetic resonance imaging. An emergency cesarean section was mandatory. According to a senior surgeon's decision, total colectomy was not immediately performed following cesarean section with reference to the absence of colonic perforation. We obtained a good short-term maternal outcome and an uncomplicated neonatal course. Counseling of those patients must be focused on timely and multidisciplinary intervention in order to improve the course of maternal disease and to prevent fetal distress.

Midtrimester isolated short femur and perinatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Fetal femur length below the expected value has been described as a marker of aneuploidy, skeletal dysplasia, intrauterine growth restriction and small-for-gestational-age neonate. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the strength of association between isolated short femur length and intrauterine growth restriction or small-for-gestational-age, and perinatal adverse outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and Medline were searched from the inception of each database to May 2018. Selection criteria included prospective and retrospective cohort studies of singleton pregnancies between 18 and 28 weeks of gestation, with sonographic finding of isolated short femur length, without any structural chromosomal abnormality. The meta-analysis was performed by computing odds ratios using both fixed and random-effects models. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: Six studies including 3078 cases of isolated short femur length (study group) and 222 303 normal femur length (control group) were included. The prevalence of intrauterine growth restriction or small-for-gestational-age in the study group was 14.2%, compared with 5.2% in the control group (odds ratio of 4.04, 95% confidence interval 3.63-4.50). Isolated short femur length was associated with a higher incidence of low birthweight (study group: 22.10% vs control group: 8.57%, odds ratio 3.24, 95% confidence interval 2.34-4.48), Apgar <7 at 5 minutes (study group: 3.98% vs control group: 1.79%, odds ratio 3.56, 95% confidence interval 1.87-6.77), preterm birth (study group: 12.16% vs control group: 8.16%, odds ratio 3.09, 95% confidence interval 1.57-6.08), fetal death (study group: 1.83% vs control group: 0.44%, odds ratio 6.48, 95% confidence interval 3.70-11.35) and neonatal intensive care unit admission (study group: 15.34% vs control group: 14.81%, odds ratio 2.11, 95% confidence interval 0.56-7.93). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant association between isolated short femur length and intrauterine growth restriction or small-for-gestational-age and poor perinatal outcome.

Implementation of the Four-Category Classification of Cesarean Section Urgency in Clinical Practice. A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: This study is aimed at investigating the clinical efficacy of the 4-category classification of urgent cesarean section. METHODS: Women giving birth from September 2012 to December 2014 were prospectively investigated. Urgency C-section categories were color-coded: red - maternal/fetal life threat; yellow - maternal/fetal compromise, not life-threatening; and green - early delivery necessary. Results were audited. RESULTS: A total of 4,754 women gave birth in the period considered, 1,313 (27.6%) with C-section of which 867 were urgent. The code was red in 0.98% of women, and 91.5% of newborns were delivered ≤30'; yellow in 5.1%; and green in 11.7%. The mean decision-to-delivery interval (DDI) ± SD was 19.6 ± 9.5 min, 36.6 ± 15.3 (p < 0.01), and 80.3 ± 52.8 (p < 0.01), respectively; and mean umbilical pH was 7.24 ± 0.10, 7.29 ± 0.08 (p < 0.05), and 7.33 ± 0.04 (p < 0.01) in the red, yellow, and green groups, respectively. Two (4.2%) red and 4 (2.2%) yellow newborns were acidotic. Mean DDI ± SD decreased from 21.7 ± 9.7 min in the period September 2012 to February 2013 to 17.4 ± 9.7 min in the period February to December 2014 (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Four-category classification led to achieving the target time in >90% of category 1 emergency C-sections, and stratified newborns with significantly different acidosis levels.

Femoral nerve injury complicating surgery for gynecologic cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report the incidence, severity, and factors associated with femoral nerve injury during gynecologic cancer surgery. METHODS: All patients who underwent abdominal surgery for gynecologic cancer entered the study. A retrospective review of the medical records was carried out for patients operated on from 2003 to April 2011. After this analysis, the use of the Bookwalter retractor was modified and the data were prospectively recorded. RESULTS: In the first period, femoral nerve injury was observed in 11 (2.7%) of 406 patients, occurring with a significantly higher frequency when the Bookwalter retractor was used (5.1% vs 0%, P < 0.01) and when pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed (5.1% vs 0.9%, P < 0.01). The analysis of the 212 patients (52.2%) in the Bookwalter group showed higher frequency of nerve injury in the patients undergoing pelvic lymphadenectomy (7.8% vs 2.0%, P = 0.05). In the second period, femoral nerve injury was observed in 1 (0.7%) of 132 patients operated on and in 1 (2.3%) of 43 patients (32.6%) in the Bookwalter group. When comparing the 2 periods, the lesser use of the Bookwalter retractor and the reduced time of maximal traction of the pelvic blades decreased the nerve injury rate from 2.7% to 0.7% and, in the Bookwalter group, from 5.1% to 2.3%. These results, although not statistically significant, are clinically relevant. CONCLUSIONS: Femoral nerve injury during gynecologic cancer surgery was associated with the Bookwalter retractor. The pelvic blades of the retractor may exert a compression on the nerve. The weakened muscles suggest that the nerve compression occurred intrapelvically over the iliacus muscle. Shortening the time of maximal traction of the pelvic blades reduced the incidence of femoral nerve injury. When performing gynecologic surgery with the use of the Bookwalter retractor, care must taken with the placement of the pelvic blades.