Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology最新文献

Background: Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) administration to group B streptococcal (GBS) positive pregnant women and other pregnant women with risk factors may reduce the rate of neonatal early-onset GBS infection (EOGBSI).

Aims: Our aims were estimating the current indications for IAP among women presenting in labour, evaluating compliance to the current local IAP guidelines and to provide recommendations for improving clinician compliance.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively analysed IAP data at our tertiary perinatal centre over a 16-month period. Our cohort included women, positive for GBS (± risk factors for EOGBSI), and a comparable number of randomly selected women with risk factors and GBS status negative or unknown.

Results: A total of 424 mother-baby pairs were included in this study. Forty-seven percent of the study cohort had IAP indication (n = 202/424). Of these, 72% (n = 145/202) received some form of IAP and 61% (n = 123/202) received 'adequate' IAP. IAP was adequately administered in 67% (n = 99/148) of women positive for GBS, 27% (n = 9/33) of women with unknown GBS status and 71% (n = 15/21) of women negative for GBS with IAP indication. Most frequent reason (30%, n = 125/424) for 'inadequate' IAP was less than four hours from birth for women positive for GBS despite spending more than 60 min in the hospital before birthing.

Conclusions: A substantial number of IAP were administered less than four hours before birth and were therefore 'inadequate' according to the current recommendations. These high rates could be reduced if those administered at least two hours prior to birth were redefined as 'adequate'.

Background: It remains unclear if there is an endometrial thickness (ET) threshold below which malignancy can be excluded. Guidance on whether endometrial biopsy is needed based on ET varies among regions in New Zealand and there is a desire to standardise guidance nationwide. This study evaluates the potential impact of limiting endometrial biopsy in pre-menopausal persons with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) to those with an ET of less than 12 mm.

Aims: To determine the number of pre-menopausal patients with AUB with an ET of less than 12 mm undergoing endometrial sampling annually and assess the prevalence of pathology among these patients.

Materials and methods: Endometrial samples from patients aged 18-50 years processed at a tertiary hospital between 15/06/2022 and 13/06/2023 were identified via a pathology lab search. Clinical, radiologic, and pathological data were obtained by case note review for those with AUB whose ET was less than 12 mm.

Results: Of 1271 endometrial samples, 355 patients met the eligibility criteria, and 2.2% of these were cancerous (three cases) or pre-malignant (five cases).

Conclusions: If sampling thresholds would change to not perform biopsies in those with an ET of less than 12 mm, eight cases of treatable disease would be missed in pre-menopausal people. This represents 13.6% of all endometrial cancers diagnosed in pre-menopausal people in the same time period. There is no ET cut-off to reliably exclude high-risk pathology and endometrial sampling should be performed in all cases of AUB with risk factors.

Background: Infertility is a prevalent issue worldwide. Current investigation of female pelvic infertility uses transabdominal laparoscopy, exposing patients to its associated risks. An alternative method is fertiloscopy, comprising hysteroscopy, tubal dye studies, and transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy (TVHL), falling under the broader category of VNOTES. This study reviews fertiloscopy cases in Australia to assess its role in managing infertility.

Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of 76 cases was performed with review of imaging results, fertiloscopy findings and interventions, and fertility outcomes. Statistical analysis was conducted via R Studio v4.1 with means and averages used for descriptive data and a Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance test used to evaluate differences in continuous variables. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to describe cumulative pregnancy incidence, with differences evaluated using log-rank tests. Statistical tests were two-tailed, and a P-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Of 76 cases, 70 underwent fertiloscopy and 35 an intra-operative intervention. Of the cohort, 53 conceived, 18 spontaneously. The highest chance of spontaneous conception was 44% by day 283. The failure rate of fertiloscopy was 5.3%, and complications occurred in 1.3% of cases.

Discussion: The highest chance of spontaneous conception post-fertiloscopy was 44% by day 283, possibly indicating the time between the procedure and referral to reproductive therapies. This study identified a low associated failure and complication rate, supporting fertiloscopy as a low-risk procedure.

Conclusion: Despite limitations, this study highlights spontaneous pregnancy outcomes and associated low complication and failure rates, emphasising fertiloscopy's role in managing infertility in Australia as a lower risk surgical alternative to standard laparoscopy.

Background: While uterus transplantation offers a promising treatment option for women with uterine factor infertility (UFI), the potential for graft failure and lack of organ availability could have subsequent psychological repercussions for women. Exploring baseline psychological well-being for women with UFI who could become uterine transplant recipients is essential to identify specific psychological challenges to be considered prior to transplantation. UFI can be congenital uterine absence, namely Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH), or acquired uterine absence (hysterectomy).

Objective: To analyse baseline psychological well-being among women with UFI.

Design and setting: A survey including demographic data and two internationally validated psychological questionnaires, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21),¹³ and Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL), was disseminated to women with UFI. Data from these instruments was compared between groups and then to data that uses these tools in the general infertility population.

Results/outcomes: The study included 39 women (mean age 29.54 years). Higher scores for moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported for the entire UFI cohort. More women with congenital UFI showed 'severe' symptoms for depression/anxiety, compared to women with acquired UFI. Women with acquired UFI showed poorer FertiQoL scores compared to both women with congenital UFI and to the general infertility population scores in previously published data.

Conclusion: Clinicians should consider accessing increased psychological support for women with UFI when discussing fertility options including uterine transplant, and they may need to tailor this support depending on whether the patient has congenital or acquired UFI.

Australia has transitioned to primary Human Papillomavirus (HPV) screening; however, high-risk HPV (hrHPV)-negative high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and adenocarcinoma in situ have been reported. HPV in situ hybridisation (ISH) testing has been proposed to reclassify these cases. This study identified hrHPV-negative lesions and assessed HPV-ISH. A total of 89 of 1468 patients (6.06%) had hrHPV-negative lesions, and HPV-ISH revealed five (5.75%) reclassified positive cases. No demographical differences were found between groups. Current population-level screening is effective. HPV-ISH was not effective for reclassification. This small, significant population requires further study to assess the phenomenon and augment detection given the implications of misidentification.

Background: Anticoagulant therapy prevents thrombosis and thromboembolic events in patients with mechanical heart valves. Bridging anticoagulation around the time of birth represents a unique challenge. Few retrospective reviews or case series exist examining peripartum outcomes with bridging anticoagulation.

Aims: Review of peripartum and postpartum anticoagulation management, with a focus on postpartum complications.

Materials and methods: Design: case series, single centre.

Setting: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Australia between 1 January, 2000, and 1 August, 2022.

Population: all pregnant women with mechanical heart valves (any type) who birthed.

Main outcome measures: intrapartum and postpartum haemorrhage, thrombosis, thromboembolic complications, cardiac events, readmission, and maternal death.

Results: There were 18 women, with 23 births. Sixteen births were via caesarean section (70%). Fourteen women (61%) experienced at least one significant haemorrhagic complication, one woman required a peripartum hysterectomy, one woman experienced atrial fibrillation, and one had a valvular thromboembolic complication. No maternal cerebral thromboses or maternal deaths were recorded.

Conclusions: Women with mechanical heart valves who undergo bridging anticoagulation are associated with significant maternal morbidity. Most postpartum haemorrhagic complications were associated with bridging unfractionated heparin infusions in the first postnatal week. Bridging anticoagulation practices varied widely. Ongoing pooled data are required to inform evidence-based guidelines for postpartum anticoagulation management.

Background: Vaginal swab microbiological testing is commonly performed as routine clinical management for various obstetric and gynaecological presentations. The clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of vaginal swab microscopy, culture and susceptibilities (MCS) in altering empirical management is ill-defined.

Aims: To describe the clinical use of vaginal swabs in a tertiary women's hospital emergency department (ED), measure the impact of vaginal swabs on altering empirical clinical management, and to determine the economic cost of vaginal swab MCS.

Materials and methods: Retrospective case-series of vaginal swabs collected at a single, tertiary women's ED between January 2021 and July 2021. Symptomatology, clinical diagnosis, test results, and pre-swab and post-swab clinical management were determined upon medical record review. Economic costs of vaginal swab MCS were retrospectively determined via internal accounting records, permitting unit-level activity-based costing.

Results: A total of 660 vaginal swabs from 584 clinical episodes were included. Vulvovaginitis was the most common indication for swab collection (34.5%, 167 samples). Altered empirical management was observed in 9.8% of all swabs (95% CI 7.4-12.2%), with marked variability between clinical indications. Antimicrobial initiation was the most common alteration in management (8.9%, 95% CI 8.7-9.1%). The estimated cost of vaginal swab MCS was $29.71 AUD; labour, consumables and disposal costs accounted for 69.3, 29.8 and 0.9%, respectively.

Conclusions: The impact of vaginal swab MCS on empirical clinical management is context-specific and variable. The majority of swabs performed do not impact upon empirical management. Antimicrobial initiation is appreciably more common than antimicrobial cessation with vaginal swab results.

Background: Women with substance use disorders (SUD) use less contraception, and experience higher rates of unintended pregnancy, compared to women without SUD. Contraception is discussed at the six-week postnatal appointment, which many women with SUD do not attend. Therefore, it is important women have the opportunity to formulate contraception plans before discharge from the birth admission.

Aims: To assess postpartum contraception plans, including initiation and method of interest, among women with SUD and compare these to women without SUD.

Materials and methods: All births from January 2011 to September 2019 from one New South Wales local health district were analysed. Data included maternal demographics, SUD, and contraception plans. Chi-squared statistics and multivariate multinomial regression analyses were used to compare outcomes for women with and without SUD.

Results: Of 59 195 mothers, 429 (0.7%) had a SUD. There were 50.1% of women with SUD and 56.2% without SUD (P = 0.03) who had no documented plan for contraception. There were 37.3% of women with SUD and 42.4% without SUD (P = 0.06) who had a prescription for contraception or a referral to discuss contraception. There were 12.5% of women with SUD and 1.4% without SUD (P < 0.001) who initiated contraception in hospital.

Conclusions: Although postpartum contraception initiation was higher among women with SUD, half of all women (with or without SUD) were discharged without a plan for contraception initiation. Embedding provision of postpartum contraception into maternity care, or investigating other opportunities, may improve access for all women, including those with SUD.