Outcome of patients undergoing transabdominal cerclage: a descriptive study.

Objective: Transabdominal cerclage is now evolving as an alternative to transvaginal cerclage in patients with cervical incompetence. The purpose of our study was to evaluate and describe our experience in patients selected to undergo transabdominal cerclage placement.

Methods: Outcome data for all patients who underwent transabdominal cerclage from January, 1990, through December, 1994, was collected.

A randomized comparison of home uterine activity monitoring in the outpatient management of women treated for preterm labor.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate home uterine activity monitoring as an intervention in reducing the rate of preterm birth among women treated for preterm labor.

Study Design: A total of 186 women were treated in the hospital with magnesium sulfate for preterm labor and were prospectively randomly assigned to study groups; among these, 162 were ultimately eligible for comparison. Eighty-two of these women were assigned to the monitored group and 80 were assigned to an unmonitored control group.

Chorioamnionitis: is continuation of antibiotic therapy necessary after cesarean section?

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether the continuation of antibiotics postoperatively after cesarean section in patients whose labors were complicated by chorioamnionitis would reduce the incidence of endometritis.

Study Design: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of chorioamnionitis treated with ampicillin during labor and who required cesarean delivery for obstetric indications received preoperative intravenous clindamycin and gentamicin and were randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received no scheduled postoperative antibiotics and group 2 continued to receive clindamycin 900 mg every 8 hours and gentamicin 1.

Methadone maintenance in pregnancy: a reappraisal.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate women receiving methadone maintenance during pregnancy.

Study Design: Thirty-two pregnancies in women receiving methadone maintenance were matched by gestational age to women with a positive urine screen for cocaine at delivery and to drug-free controls. Pregnancy outcome variables were compared, including birth weight and neonatal morbidity.

Cervical ripening: randomized comparison of intravaginal prostaglandin E2 gel with prostaglandin E2 gel plus laminaria tents.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adding laminaria tents to sequential intravaginal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel for cervical ripening. A prospective, randomized study was conducted from October 1994 to May 1995. Pregnant women with maternal or fetal indications for induction of labor at > or = 37 weeks gestation and a Bishop score of < or = 4 were eligible.