Uterotonics update.

Uterotonics are the mainstay of management for postpartum haemorrhage and an understanding of their use is essential for the obstetric anaesthetist. First-line uterotonics comprise oxytocin and carbetocin, which act on the oxytocin receptor, and recent research has shown that lower doses of first-line uterotonics can be used to adequate effect. The oxytocin receptor is known to undergo desensitisation with exposure to the agonist over time and with increasing concentrations.

Upper back, neck, and shoulder pain during labor epidural analgesia: a quality improvement initiative.

Background: Severe upper back/interscapular, neck and shoulder pain during labor epidural analgesia (PLEA) is not uncommon. The objective of this quality initiative was to evaluate the incidence, demographic associations and management of PLEA.

Methods: An eight-month, single-center quality improvement initiative was performed for the detection and management of PLEA.

Maternal-Fetal Conflicts in Anesthesia Practice.

Anesthesia clinicians often navigate a delicate balance between maternal and fetal safety. Interventions for at fetal well-being may introduce risks of harm to the mother and raise ethical dilemmas. Emergency procedures often focus on direct fetal safety, sidelining maternal physical and mental well-being.

Sacral sensory blockade from 27-gauge pencil-point dural puncture epidural analgesia or epidural analgesia in laboring nulliparous parturients: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique has been associated with better sacral analgesia compared with a traditional epidural (EPL) technique in laboring parturients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DPE with a 27-gauge pencil-point needle compared with a traditional EPL technique produces more rapid bilateral sacral blockade in nulliparous parturients.

Methods: Patients were randomized to a DPE or EPL technique.

Neuraxial labor analgesia: Initiation techniques.

The ideal technique for labor analgesia would have a quick onset, predictable quality, and adjustable depth and duration. Moreover, it would be easy to perform and have minimal maternal and fetal side effects. A catheter-based neuraxial approach encompasses these desirable characteristics and includes the epidural, combined spinal epidural, dural puncture epidural, and intrathecal catheter techniques.

Obstetric comorbidity index and the odds of general vs. neuraxial anesthesia in women undergoing cesarean delivery: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Maternal and fetal concerns have prompted a significant reduction in general anesthesia (GA) use for cesarean delivery (CD). The obstetric comorbidity index (OB-CMI) is a validated, dynamic composite score of comorbidities encountered in an obstetric patient. We sought to estimate the association between OB-CMI and odds of GA vs.

The venous system during pregnancy. Part 2: clinical implications.

Maternal positioning, medications, and other modulations to the venous system can affect maternal and fetal well-being. The venous system is a dynamic reservoir for blood volume, in which a virtual point of conversion between unstressed volume (Vu) and stressed volume (Vs) exists. The anatomic and physiologic changes associated with hypotension (e.

The venous system during pregnancy. Part 1: physiologic considerations.

An essential contributor to the hemodynamic responses observed during pregnancy, the venous system is affected by hormones, blood volume, flow rates, and an enlarging uterus. The venous system is a dynamic reservoir for blood volume, within which a virtual point of conversion between unstressed volume (Vu) and stressed volume (Vs) exists. The physiologic importance of the venous system during pregnancy is best understood when the basic concepts, functional characteristics, and alterations in pregnancy are reviewed.

Labor prior to cesarean delivery associated with higher post-discharge opioid consumption.

Background: Severe acute post-cesarean delivery (CD) pain has been associated with an increased risk for persistent pain and postpartum depression. Identification of women at increased risk for pain can be used to optimize post-cesarean analgesia. The impact of labor prior to CD (intrapartum CD) on acute post-operative pain and opioid use is unclear.

Intrathecal catheter use after accidental dural puncture in obstetric patients: literature review and clinical management recommendations.

If an accidental dural puncture occurs, one option is to insert a catheter and use it as an intrathecal catheter. This avoids the need for a further injection and can rapidly provide labour analgesia and anaesthesia for caesarean section. However, there are no recommendations for managing intrathecal catheters and, therefore, significant variation in clinical practice exists.

A cluster quasi-randomized controlled trial of an interactive, monthly obstetric anesthesiology curriculum: impact on resident satisfaction and knowledge retention.

Background: Increasingly, evidence supports the use of educational paradigms that focus on teacher-learner interaction and learner engagement. We redesigned our monthly obstetric anesthesia resident didactics from a lecture-based curriculum to an interactive format including problem-based learning, case discussion, question/answer sessions, and simulation. We hypothesized that the new curriculum would improve resident satisfaction with the educational experience, satisfaction with the rotation, and knowledge retention.

The Effect of the No Pain Labor & Delivery-Global Health Initiative on Cesarean Delivery and Neonatal Outcomes in China: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

Background: The proportion of live births by cesarean delivery (CD) in China is significant, with some, particularly rural, provinces reporting up to 62.5%. The No Pain Labor & Delivery-Global Health Initiative (NPLD-GHI) was established to improve obstetric and neonatal outcomes in China, including through a reduction of CD through educational efforts.

The Most Influential Publications in Obstetric Anesthesiology, 1998-2017: Utilizing the Delphi Method for Expert Consensus.

Background: There have been many advances in obstetric anesthesiology in the past 2 decades. We sought to create a list of highly influential publications in the field using the Delphi method among a group of obstetric anesthesiology experts to create an important educational, clinical, and research resource.

Methods: Experts in the field, defined as obstetric anesthesiologists selected to present the Gerard W.

Risk Factors, Etiologies, and Screening Tools for Sepsis in Pregnant Women: A Multicenter Case-Control Study.

Background: Given the significant morbidity and mortality of maternal sepsis, early identification is key to improve outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the performance characteristics of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), quick Sequential [Sepsis-related] Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and maternal early warning (MEW) criteria for identifying cases of impending sepsis in parturients. The secondary objective of this study is to identify etiologies and risk factors for maternal sepsis and to assess timing of antibiotics in patients diagnosed with sepsis.

Average and time-specific maternal prenatal inflammatory biomarkers and the risk of labor epidural associated fever.

Background: The use of labor epidural analgesia has been associated with intrapartum fever, known as labor epidural associated fever (LEAF). LEAF is most commonly non-infectious in origin and associated with elevated inflammatory cytokines.

Methods: The LIFECODES pregnancy cohort was designed to prospectively collect data to evaluate the association of maternal inflammatory biomarkers with preterm birth in women who delivered between 2007 and 2008 at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Use of a novel non-invasive respiratory monitor to study changes in pulmonary ventilation during labor epidural analgesia.

Measuring continuous changes in maternal ventilation during labor neuraxial analgesia is technically difficult. Consequently, the magnitude of pulmonary minute ventilation (MV) alterations following labor analgesia remains unknown. We hypothesized that a novel, bio-impedance based non-invasive respiratory monitor would provide this information.

The effect of patient-selected or preselected music on anxiety during cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

Women undergoing cesarean delivery may have significant anxiety prior to surgery. Nonpharmacological approaches to anxiety reduction are favored in this patient population. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of patient-selected or preselected music on anxiety in parturients undergoing scheduled cesarean delivery.

Effect of class III and class IV obesity on oocyte retrieval complications and outcomes.

Objective: To assess the effect of class III (body mass index [BMI] 40-49.9 kg/m) and class IV obesity (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m) on oocyte retrieval complications and outcomes.

Design: Cohort study.