Trends in severe maternal morbidity following an institutional team goal strategy for disparity reduction.

Background: Racial disparities in maternal pregnancy outcomes, specifically in morbidity and mortality, are persistent in the U.S., and a multifaceted approach to mitigating these disparate outcomes is critical.

Association of a Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring Program With Postpartum Adverse Outcomes.

Objective: To use administrative claims data to evaluate the association of a remote blood pressure monitoring program with adverse postpartum clinical outcomes in patients with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of Independence Blue Cross members with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy diagnosis across three obstetric hospitals from 2017 to 2021. Patients who were enrolled in twice-daily text-based blood pressure monitoring for 10 days postpartum were compared with two propensity-score matched cohorts of patients who met the program criteria: an asynchronous cohort (cohort A), consisting of patients at any of the three participating hospitals before remote monitoring program implementation, and a contemporaneous cohort (cohort C), consisting of patients at other hospitals during the same time period as clinical use of the program.

Best Practices for Managing Postpartum Hypertension.

Purpose Of Review: Patients remain at risk for persistent and de novo postpartum hypertension related to pregnancy. This review aims to summarize the current definitions, clinical practices, and novel systems innovations and therapies for postpartum hypertension.

Recent Findings: Recent changes to the definitions of hypertension outside of pregnancy have not yet impacted definitions or management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), though research examining the implications of these new definitions on risks of developing HDP and the resultant sequelae is ongoing.

Universal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Testing for Obstetric Inpatient Units Across the United States.

Background: The purpose of this study was to estimate prevalence of asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among patients admitted to obstetric inpatient units throughout the United States as detected by universal screening. We sought to describe the relationship between obstetric inpatient asymptomatic infection rates and publicly available surrounding community infection rates.

Methods: A cross-sectional study in which medical centers reported rates of positive SARS-CoV-2 testing in asymptomatic pregnant and immediate postpartum patients over a 1-3-month time span in 2020.

Implementation of a text-based postpartum blood pressure monitoring program at 3 different academic sites.

Background: Up to 30% of patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy continue to have elevated blood pressures after delivery, often necessitating medication titration or hospital evaluation in the weeks following hospital discharge. A previous randomized controlled trial demonstrated that remote blood pressure monitoring programs led to an increase in the number of blood pressure measurements obtained and increased compliance with clinical guidelines regarding the monitoring of patients for persistent or worsening postpartum hypertension.

Objective: The aims of this study were to measure the program participant response rates during the first 10 days after hospital discharge, to assess the replicability and scalability of the program, and to evaluate patient satisfaction at 3 distinct sites.

Reducing Disparities Using Telehealth Approaches for Postdelivery Preeclampsia Care.

The management of hypertensive disease of pregnancy presents an ongoing challenge after patients are discharged from delivery hospitalizations. Preeclampsia and other forms of postpartum hypertension increase the risk for severe maternal morbidity and mortality in the postpartum period, and both hypertension and its associated adverse events disproportionately affect black women. With its ability to transcend barriers to health care access, telemedicine can facilitate high-quality postpartum care delivery for preeclampsia management and thereby reduce racial disparities in obstetric care and outcomes.

Furosemide for Accelerated Recovery of Blood Pressure Postpartum in women with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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Compassionate Use of Remdesivir in Pregnant Women With Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background: Remdesivir is efficacious for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults, but data in pregnant women are limited. We describe outcomes in the first 86 pregnant women with severe COVID-19 who were treated with remdesivir.

Methods: The reported data span 21 March to 16 June 2020 for hospitalized pregnant women with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and room air oxygen saturation ≤94% whose clinicians requested remdesivir through the compassionate use program.

Successful implementation of text-based blood pressure monitoring for postpartum hypertension.

Objectives: A clinical trial showed postpartum text-based blood pressure (BP) monitoring is effective in meeting clinical guidelines and reduces racial disparities in postpartum hypertension care. Our objective was to compare clinical outcomes to those from a clinical trial after implementation of the program in a second hospital within our hospital system.

Study Design: Comparison of women randomized to text-based BP monitoring in a clinical trial compared to an implementation cohort clinically enrolled in text-based BP monitoring.

Universal testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in 2 Philadelphia hospitals: carrier prevalence and symptom development over 2 weeks.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has challenged obstetrical care providers. Universal testing on labor and delivery units has been implemented by many hospitals to ensure patient and staff safety. Asymptomatic carrier rates are expected to vary based on geographic differences in disease prevalence, although differences within the same city have not been reported previously.

The Psychological Experience of Obstetric Patients and Health Care Workers after Implementation of Universal SARS-CoV-2 Testing.

Objective: This study was aimed to describe the hospitalization and early postpartum psychological experience for asymptomatic obstetric patients tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) as part of a universal testing program and report the impact of this program on labor and delivery health care workers' job satisfaction and workplace anxiety.

Study Design: This is a cohort study of asymptomatic pregnant women who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing between April 13, 2020 and April 26, 2020. Semistructured interviews were conducted via telephone at 1 and 2 weeks posthospitalization to assess maternal mental health.

Detection of COVID-19 in a Vulvar Lesion.

As new information about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly discovered, clinicians are better equipped to make informed decisions for their patients. While current research suggests COVID-19 viral antigen is not found in vaginal secretions, its detectability in the female lower genital tract may have clinical implications for obstetric and gynecologic care for women. We present a case of a woman at 31 weeks' gestation with simultaneous upper respiratory symptoms and vulvovaginitis.

Clinical course of severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 in hospitalized pregnancies: a United States cohort study.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has had an impact on healthcare systems around the world with 3 million people contracting the disease and 208,000 cases resulting in death as of this writing. Information regarding coronavirus infection in pregnancy is still limited.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the clinical course of severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 in hospitalized pregnant women with positive laboratory testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Postpartum blood pressure trends are impacted by race and BMI.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate postpartum blood pressure trends, and time to resolution of hypertension among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, specifically focusing on impact of race and BMI on these trends.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a randomized trial that utilized a text-message based home blood pressure monitoring system. BPs for this study included both inpatient postpartum BPs as well as home BPs obtained from the text-based program.

Accuracy of risk prediction scores in pregnant women with congenital heart disease.

Objective: To assess performance of risk stratification schemes in predicting adverse cardiac outcomes in pregnant women with congenital heart disease (CHD) and to compare these schemes to clinical factors alone.

Design: Single-center retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary care academic hospital.

Interpregnancy Body Mass Index Changes: Distribution and Impact on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in the Subsequent Pregnancy.

Objective: To examine the change in body mass index (BMI) categories between pregnancies and its effect on adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of women with two consecutive deliveries from 2005 to 2010. Analysis was limited to women with BMI recorded at <24 weeks for both pregnancies.

Comparing standard office-based follow-up with text-based remote monitoring in the management of postpartum hypertension: a randomised clinical trial.

Background: Monitoring blood pressure at 72 hours and 7-10 days post partum in women with hypertensive disorders is recommended to decrease morbidity. However, there are no recommendations as to how to achieve this.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of text-based blood pressure monitoring to in-person visits for women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the immediate postpartum period.

Epidemiology of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Maternal morbidity and mortality remains a significant health care concern in the United States, as the rates continue to rise despite efforts to improve maternal health. In 2013, the United States ranked 60th in maternal mortality worldwide. We review the definitions, rates, trends, and top causes of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as risk factors for adverse maternal outcomes.