Early Fetal Development and the Environment: Reproductive Genetics, The Placenta, Gestational Changes of the Reproductive Tract and Breasts, Environmental Influences on Fetal Development. Fetal Diagnostic and Treatment Modalities: Ultrasound in Perinatal Medicine, Measurement of Fetal Activity, Biophysical Evaluation of Fetal Status, Acid-Base Physiology in the Fetus, Endocrine and Other Evaluations of the Fetal Environment, Evaluation of Fetal Lung Maturity. Maternal and Fetal Pathophysiology: Pregnancy Wastage, Disorders of Parturition, Normal and Abnormal Labour, Fetal Growth, Multiple Gestation, Placental Abnormalities, Maternal and Fetal Infections, Maternal Blood Group Immunization, Maternal Disorders, Neonatal Problems.

https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/64/10/1524.3.full.pdf

Maternal Fetal Medicine. Principles and Practice

The HELLP syndrome is a serious complication in pregnancy characterized by haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count occurring in 0.5 to 0.9% of all pregnancies and in 10–20% of cases with severe preeclampsia. The present review highlights occurrence, diagnosis, complications, surveillance, corticosteroid treatment, mode of delivery and risk of recurrence. Clinical reports and reviews published between 2000 and 2008 were screened using Pub Med and Cochrane databases. About 70% of the cases develop before delivery, the majority between the 27th and 37th gestational weeks; the remainder within 48 hours after delivery. The HELLP syndrome may be complete or incomplete. In the Tennessee Classification System diagnostic criteria for HELLP are haemolysis with increased LDH (> 600 U/L), AST (≥ 70 U/L), and platelets < 100·109/L. The Mississippi Triple-class HELLP System further classifies the disorder by the nadir platelet counts. The syndrome is a progressive condition and serious complications are frequent. Conservative treatment (≥ 48 hours) is controversial but may be considered in selected cases < 34 weeks' gestation. Delivery is indicated if the HELLP syndrome occurs after the 34th gestational week or the foetal and/or maternal conditions deteriorate. Vaginal delivery is preferable. If the cervix is unfavourable, it is reasonable to induce cervical ripening and then labour. In gestational ages between 24 and 34 weeks most authors prefer a single course of corticosteroid therapy for foetal lung maturation, either 2 doses of 12 mg betamethasone 24 hours apart or 6 mg or dexamethasone 12 hours apart before delivery. Standard corticosteroid treatment is, however, of uncertain clinical value in the maternal HELLP syndrome. High-dose treatment and repeated doses should be avoided for fear of long-term adverse effects on the foetal brain. Before 34 weeks' gestation, delivery should be performed if the maternal condition worsens or signs of intrauterine foetal distress occur. Blood pressure should be kept below 155/105 mmHg. Close surveillance of the mother should be continued for at least 48 hours after delivery.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2F1471-2393-9-8.pdf

The HELLP syndrome: Clinical issues and management. A Review

https://www.augusta.edu/mcg/medicine/documents/balance.pdf

Predictors of physician career satisfaction, work-life balance, and burnout.

BACKGROUND: Although mass screening for osteoporosis is not recommended among postmenopausal women, there is no consensus on which women should undergo testing for low bone mineral density. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a clinical tool to help clinicians identify which women are at increased risk for osteoporosis and should therefore undergo further testing with bone densitometry. METHODS: Using Ontario baseline data from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study, we identified all cognitively normal women aged 45 years or more who had undergone testing with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at both the femoral neck and the lumbar spine (L1-L4). Participants who had a previous diagnosis of osteoporosis or were taking bone active medication other than ovarian hormones were excluded. The main outcome measure was low bone mineral density (T score of 2 or more standard deviations below the mean for young Canadian women) at either the femoral neck or the lumbar spine. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used to identify the simplest algorithm that would identify women at increased risk for low bone mineral density. RESULTS: The study population comprised 1376 women, of whom 926 were allocated to the development of the tool and 450 to its validation. A simple algorithm based on age, weight and current estrogen use (yes or no) was developed. Validation of this 3-item Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Instrument (ORAI) showed that the tool had a sensitivity of 93.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 86.3%-97.0%) and a specificity of 46.4% (95% CI 41.0%-51.8%) for selecting women with low bone mineral density. The sensitivity of the instrument for selecting women with osteoporosis was 94.4% (95% CI 83.7%-98.6%). Use of the ORAI represented a 38.7% reduction in DXA testing compared with screening all women in our study. INTERPRETATION: The ORAI accurately identifies the vast majority of women likely to have low bone mineral density and is effective in substantially decreasing the need for all women to undergo DXA testing.

/pdf/development-and-validation-of-the-osteoporosis-risk-1g3d1d6gcr.pdf

Development and validation of the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Instrument to facilitate selection of women for bone densitometry

been published. Instruments developed to assess clinical risk factors for low bone density or fractures have moderate to high sensitivity and low specificity. Among different bone density tests measured at various sites, bone density measured at the femoral neck by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is the best predictor of hip fracture. Women with low bone density have approximately a 40% to 50% reduction in fracture risk when treated with bisphosphonates. Conclusions: Population screening would be based on evidence that the risk for osteoporosis and fractures increases with age, that the short-term risk for fracture can be estimated by bone density tests and risk factors, and that fracture risk can be reduced with treatment. The role of risk factor assessment and different bone density techniques, frequency of screening, and identification of subgroups for which screening is most effective remain unclear. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:529-541. www.annals.org For author affiliations, see end of text. See related article on pp 526-528.

Screening for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Review of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Identification of at-risk women for osteoporosis screening

HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome is a variant of severe preeclampsia which is associated with substantial maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. As with preeclampsia, the etiology and pathogenesis of HELLP syndrome is not completely understood. An increase in vascular thrombosis and activation of the coagulation system may be important in the clinical presentation of this disorder. Laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome have been classically described but lack uniformity among different institutions. Aggressive management of HELLP syndrome with expeditious delivery appears to yield the lowest perinatal mortality rates. Conservative or expectant management has been associated with higher stillbirth rates with antenatal corticosteroids not causing resolution of the laboratory abnormalities. Resolution of laboratory abnormalities in HELLP syndrome runs a protracted course over several days after delivery. Despite nearly two decades since HELLP syndrome has been defined as a clinical entity, treatment for the disorder still remains delivery of the patient.

A review of HELLP syndrome.

The laborist: a new focus of practice for the obstetrician.

The process of resident selection : a view from the residency director's desk

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the scientific literature supports the practice of electronic monitoring of the fetal heart rate (FHR) during nonobstetric surgery. STUDY DESIGN: A search of the literature from 1966 to 1995 was performed using MEDLINE. RESULTS: No fetal hypoxic mortality or morbidity has been documented from nonobstetric surgery without occurrence of a maternal hypoxic complication regardless of the use of FHR monitoring or whether alterations of the FHR occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal monitoring is an indirect assessment of maternal anesthetic and surgical management that is not as specific or effective as direct assessment of the maternal parameters to detect respiratory compromise. Current clinical evidence obtained does not substantiate the need for obstetric personnel to monitor FHR changes during surgical procedures because no change in fetal outcome has been documented.

Louis Weinstein

Papers

Identification of at-risk women for osteoporosis screening

A review of HELLP syndrome.

The laborist: a new focus of practice for the obstetrician.

The process of resident selection : a view from the residency director's desk

Are obstetrical personnel required for intraoperative fetal monitoring during nonobstetric surgery