Association of inpatient postpartum recovery with patient-reported outcome measures following hospital discharge: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The relationship between the quality of inpatient versus outpatient obstetric postpartum recovery is under-explored. We examined the association between inpatient reported quality of recovery with outpatient global recovery, pain severity, pain interference, anxiety, and depression screening scores postpartum.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter observational cohort study of women in labor who underwent vaginal, operative vaginal, or intrapartum cesarean birth.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Receipt of General Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery.

Importance: General anesthesia for cesarean delivery is associated with increased maternal morbidity, and Black and Hispanic pregnant patients have higher rates of general anesthesia use compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts. It is unknown whether risk factors and indications for general anesthesia differ among patients of differing race and ethnicity.

Objective: To evaluate differences in general anesthesia use for cesarean delivery and the indication for the general anesthetic by race and ethnicity.

The Successful Anesthetic Management of a Cesarean Delivery in a Patient with Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome.

Introduction: Fanconi-Bickel syndrome (FBS) is a rare genetic condition characterized by extremely short stature, renal tubular dysfunction, osteoporosis, and rickets. The literature is scant regarding the successful reproduction of women with FBS. Cesarean delivery is indicated due to the risk of pelvic fracture from vaginal delivery in a patient with FBS and rickets, yet no case describing the anesthetic has been reported.

Anesthetic Management of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome During Vaginal Delivery: A Case Report.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a rare group of vascular disorders characterized by severe headache with or without other neurologic symptoms. Pregnancy is known to precipitate RCVS, typically in the postpartum period. With improved recognition of this condition, RCVS is now increasingly identified in the antepartum period.

Prophylactic Intrathecal Morphine and Prevention of Post-Dural Puncture Headache: A Randomized Double-blind Trial.

Background: Prophylactic epidural morphine administration after unintentional dural puncture with a large-bore needle has been shown to decrease the incidence of post-dural puncture headache. The authors hypothesized that prophylactic administration of intrathecal morphine would decrease the incidence of post-dural puncture headache and/or need for epidural blood patch after unintentional dural puncture.

Methods: Parturients with an intrathecal catheter in situ after unintentional dural puncture with a 17-g Tuohy needle during intended epidural catheter placement for labor analgesia were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind trial.

Postpartum Thyroid Storm in Poorly Controlled Graves' Disease: A Case Report.

Hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is a relatively rare event, but poor control of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is associated with a host of issues. These include intrauterine fetal demise, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm delivery, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and maternal congestive heart failure. One of the most feared sequelae of hyperthyroidism is thyroid storm, which has a mortality rate >10%.

Objective Epidural Space Identification Using Continuous Real-Time Pressure Sensing Technology: A Randomized Controlled Comparison With Fluoroscopy and Traditional Loss of Resistance.

Background: Performance of epidural anesthesia and analgesia depends on successful identification of the epidural space (ES). While multiple investigations have described objective and alternative methodologies to identify the ES, traditional loss of resistance (LOR) and fluoroscopy (FC) are currently standard of care in labor and delivery (L&D) and chronic pain (CP) management, respectively. While FC is associated with high success, it exposes patients to radiation and requires appropriate radiological equipment.

Massive Hemorrhage From Suspected Iatrogenic Uterine Rupture.

Background: Intrauterine balloon tamponade is recommended for refractory postpartum hemorrhage resulting from atony, but few studies have assessed complications associated with placement.

Case: A 39-year-old woman, gravida 4 para 1, with posterior placenta previa and suspected placenta accreta had a postpartum hemorrhage after a scheduled cesarean delivery. An intrauterine balloon tamponade device was easily placed transcervically; however, the patient required additional analgesia for constant severe stabbing pain worsened on examination.

Severe perineal lacerations after vaginal delivery: are they an anesthesiologist's problem?

Purpose Of Review: Perineal tears or lacerations are common occurrences after vaginal delivery. Understanding the degree of severity of these tears and the immediate and long-term complications of severe perineal lacerations can assist anesthesiologists with the management of these patients in the immediate postpartum period.

Recent Findings: Severe perineal lacerations have a high degree of association with postpartum depression.

Effect of Intrathecal Bupivacaine Dose on the Success of External Cephalic Version for Breech Presentation: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Clinical Trial.

Background: Breech presentation is a leading cause of cesarean delivery. The use of neuraxial anesthesia increases the success rate of external cephalic version procedures for breech presentation and reduces cesarean delivery rates for fetal malpresentation. Meta-analysis suggests that higher-dose neuraxial techniques increase external cephalic version success to a greater extent than lower-dose techniques, but no randomized study has evaluated the dose-response effect.

Any news on the postdural puncture headache front?

Unintentional dural puncture followed by postdural puncture headache is a well-known complication following neuraxial labor analgesia. Risk factors for the development of postdural puncture headache may be related to the patient's history and characteristics, the neuraxial technique, and obstetrical events. The diagnosis of postdural puncture headache is usually made depending on the clinical presentation (orthostatic headache after a neuraxial procedure).

The Relationship of Body Mass Index with the Incidence of Postdural Puncture Headache in Parturients.

Background: Unintentional dural puncture is a known risk after epidural or combined spinal-epidural procedures, occurring in approximately 1% of labor epidural catheters placed in parturients with normal body habitus but may be as high as 4% in morbidly obese parturients. Anecdotal experience and limited publications suggest that an inverse relationship between body mass index (BMI) and postdural puncture headache (PDPH) may exist. We hypothesized that parturients with increased BMI have a lower incidence of PDPH than those with a lower BMI after unintentional dural puncture.

Interventional radiology in the pregnant patient for obstetric and nonobstetric indications: organizational, anesthetic, and procedural issues.

Purpose Of Review: As indications for interventional radiology procedures during pregnancy continue to expand, anesthesiologists must be aware of the indications for specific procedures as well as provide the safest possible anesthetic care to both the mother and the fetus in nontraditional environments.

Recent Findings: Among the different imaging modalities employed for interventional procedures, ultrasonography and MRI without gadolinium-based contrast are preferred because they are free of ionizing radiation. Providers continue to report cases in which interventional techniques are used in a well tolerated and effective manner.