Preinduction cervical ripening in an outpatient setting: a prospective pilot study of a synthetic osmotic dilator compared with a double-balloon catheter.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness, safety and patient satisfaction of a double balloon catheter (DB) with a synthetic osmotic cervical dilator (OD) for pre-induction cervical ripening in an outpatient setting.

Methods: This is a prospective, dual-center pilot study including 94 patients with an unripe cervix (Bishop Score <6) near term; 50 patients received the DB and 44 patients the OD. The primary outcomes were the difference in BishopScore (BS) and cervical shortening.

Is Appendectomy During Late Stages of Pregnancy Associated with an Increased Cesarean Delivery Rate? - a Retrospective Analysis of One Center During 10 Years.

Introduction: About one in 500 pregnant women requires a surgical intervention that is not pregnancy-related. One of the most common surgical interventions during pregnancy is appendectomy. The primary aim of this study was to assess surgical access of appendectomy during pregnancy and pregnancy outcome.

Synthetic Osmotic Dilators for Pre-Induction Cervical Ripening - an Evidence-Based Review.

Mechanical methods have gained growing interest for pre-induction cervical ripening in women with an unripe cervix, since they have a better safety profile compared to prostaglandins. Balloon catheters have been the gold standard method for decades, while there was a lack of data on synthetic osmotic cervical dilators. Not until 2015, when Dilapan-S was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for induction of labor, numerous studies have been published on the use of Dilapan-S in this field.

Covid-19 during Pregnancy - Histopathological Lesions of the Placenta.

Introduction: Pregnant women and their offspring represented a vulnerable patient collective during the Covid-19 pandemic. Beyond the direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 via vertical transmission, an indirect impact on the fetus can occur through placental lesions deteriorating placental villous function. We performed a histopathological analysis of placentas of parturients with SARS-CoV-2 compared to healthy controls.

Cervical ripening as an outpatient procedure in the pandemic - minimizing the inpatient days and lowering the socioeconomic costs.

Objectives: With an increasing incidence of labor induction the socioeconomic costs are increasing and the burden on hospital capacities is rising. In addition, the worldwide SARS-CoV-2 pandemic asks for improvements in patient care during pregnancy and delivery while decreasing the patient-staff contact. Here, we are retrospectively analyzing and comparing a mechanical ripening device that is utilized as an outpatient procedure to misoprostol and dinoprostone as inpatient induction methods in a low risk cohort.

Do we need a 200 μg misoprostol vaginal insert? A retrospective cohort study comparing the misoprostol vaginal insert to oral misoprostol.

Aim: The misoprostol vaginal insert (MVI) was reported to be more effective than dinoprostone but discussed critically because of high rates of fetal heart rate changes due to uterine tachysystole. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of induced labor using the MVI compared to off-label orally-administered misoprostol (OM).

Methods: Retrospective study including a total of 401 patients with singleton pregnancies in whom labor was induced at ≥36 0/7 gestational weeks with MVI (203) or OM (198).

Expression of VEGFR-2 during Liver Regeneration after Partial Hepatectomy in a Bioluminescence Mouse Model.

Background: Liver regeneration requires the formation of new blood vessels. Endothelial cell proliferation is stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor tyrosine kinase VEGFR-2. The aim of this study was to investigate VEGFR-2 expression in vivo during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PHx).

Poor sleep quality is associated with depressive symptoms in patients with heart disease.

Background: Depression in cardiac patients has gained importance due to increased mortality. Although sleep disturbances are a core symptom of depression, the prevalence and patterns of sleep disturbances in heart disease have hardly been examined regarding depression.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aims to examine sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms in consecutively admitted cardiac patients and depressed patients.