Search

Background: Operative vaginal delivery (OVD), either vacuum or forceps, can be used to expedite vaginal delivery. While rates of OVD have been reducing worldwide, rates in Ireland remain high. The Robson Ten Group Classification System (TGCS) was originally created to compare rates of caesarean delivery between healthcare units, although no similar system exists for the analysis of OVD., Aims: We sought to examine rates of OVD using the TGCS in an effort to understand which patient groups make significant contributions to the overall rate of OVD., Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of all women delivering in a tertiary-level university institution in Dublin, Ireland, from 2007 to 2016. Mode of delivery for all patients was extracted from contemporaneously recorded hospital records. Rates of OVD were analysed according to the TGCS, and the contribution of each group to the overall hospital population was calculated., Results: There were 86 191 deliveries of women in our institution, of which 19.3% (16 673/86 191) had an OVD. Women in Group 1 (singleton, cephalic, nulliparous women at term in spontaneous labour) contributed the most to the overall rate of OVD, accounting for almost half of all OVDs (46.1% (7679/16 673)). Nulliparous women with a singleton, cephalic fetus at term who were induced (Group 2) were more likely to have an OVD than similar patients who laboured spontaneously (Group 1)., Conclusion: OVD accounts for almost one in five deliveries in our population and is predominately performed in nulliparous women. These groups may be the subject of interventions to lower rates of OVD. The Robson TGCS is a freely available tool to hospitals and birthing centres to facilitate comparison of rates of OVD on local and national levels., (© 2020 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Objective: Contemporary approaches to monitoring quality of care in obstetrics often focus on comparing Cesarean Delivery rates. Varied rates can complicate interpretation of quality of care. We previously developed a risk prediction tool for nulliparous women who may require intrapartum Cesarean delivery which identified five key predictors. Our objective with this study was to ascertain if patient heterogeneity can account for much of the observed variation in Cesarean delivery rates, thereby enabling Cesarean delivery rates to be a better marker of quality of care., Materials and Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Genesis study. This was a large prospective study of 2336 nulliparous singleton pregnancies recruited at seven hospitals. A heterogeneity score was calculated for each hospital. An adjusted Cesarean delivery rate was also calculated incorporating the heterogeneous risk score., Results: A cut-off at the 90th percentile was determined for each predictive factor. Above the 90th percentile was considered to represent 'high risk' (with the exception of maternal height which identified those below the 10th percentile). The patient heterogeneous risk score was defined as the number of risk factors > 90th percentile (<10th percentile for height). An unequal distribution of high-risk patients between centers was observed (p < 0.001). The correlation between the Cesarean delivery rate and the patient heterogeneous risk score was high (0.76, p < 0.05). When adjusted for patient heterogeneity, Cesarean delivery rates became closer aligned., Conclusion: Inter-institutional diversity is common. We suggest that crude comparison of Cesarean delivery rates between different hospitals as a marker of care quality is inappropriate. Allowing for marked differences in patient characteristics is essential for correct interpretation of such comparisons., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Quality of recovery (QOR) instruments measure patients' ability to return to baseline health status after surgery. Whether, and the extent to which, postoperative ambulation contributes to QOR is unclear, in part due to the lack of valid tools to measure ambulation in clinical settings. This cohort study of the cesarean delivery surgical model examines the accuracy and reliability of activity trackers in quantifying early postoperative ambulation and investigates the correlation between ambulation and QOR., Methods: A prospective cohort of 200 parturients undergoing cesarean delivery between July 2015 and June 2017 was fitted with wrist-worn activity trackers immediately postpartum. The trackers were collected 24 hours later, along with QOR assessments (QoR-15 scale). The relationship between QOR and various covariates, including ambulation, was explored using multivariable linear regression and Spearman correlation (ρ). Forty-eight parturients fitted with 2 trackers also completed a walk exercise accompanied by a step-counting assessor, to evaluate accuracy, inter-, and intradevice reliability using interclass correlation (ICC)., Results: Compared to step counting, activity trackers had high accuracy (ICC = 0.93) and excellent inter- and intradevice reliability (ICC = 0.98 and 0.96, respectively). Correlation analysis suggested that early ambulation is moderately correlated with postcesarean QoR-15 scores, with a ρ (95% confidence interval) equivalent to 0.56 (0.328-0.728). Regression analysis suggested that ambulation is a determinant of postcesarean QoR-15 scores, with an effect estimate (95% confidence interval) equivalent to 0.002 (0.001-0.003). Ambulation was also associated with all QoR-15 domains, except psychological support. The patient's acceptable symptom state (subjective threshold for good ambulation) in the first 24 hours was 287 steps., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of activity trackers in measuring ambulation in clinical settings and suggested that postoperative ambulation is a determinant of postoperative QOR. A hypothetical implication of our findings is that interventions that improve ambulation may also help to enhance QOR, but further research is needed to establish a causal relationship.

Objective: Increased fetal size is associated with shoulder dystocia during labor and subsequent need for assisted delivery. We sought to investigate if increased fetal adiposity diagnosed sonographically in late pregnancy is associated with increased risk of operative delivery., Methods: This secondary analysis of the Genesis Study recruited 2392 nulliparous women with singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation, in a prospective, multicenter study, to examine prenatal and intrapartum predictors of Cesarean delivery. Participants underwent ultrasound and clinical evaluation between 39 + 0 and 40 + 6 weeks' gestation. Data on fetal biometry were not revealed to patients or to their managing clinicians. A fetal adiposity composite of fetal thigh adiposity and fetal abdominal wall thickness was compiled for each infant in order to determine whether fetal adiposity > 90 th centile was associated with an increased risk of Cesarean or operative vaginal delivery., Results: After exclusions, data were available for 2330 patients. Patients with a fetal adiposity composite > 90 th centile had a higher maternal body mass index (BMI) (25 ± 5 kg/m 2 vs 24 ± 4 kg/m 2 ; P = 0.005), birth weight (3872 ± 417 g vs 3585 ± 401 g; P < 0.0001) and rate of induction of labor (47% (108/232) vs 40% (834/2098); P = 0.048) than did those with an adiposity composite ≤ 90 th centile. Fetuses with adiposity composite > 90 th centile were more likely to require Cesarean delivery than were those with adiposity composite ≤ 90 th centile (P < 0.0001). After adjusting for birth weight, maternal BMI and need for induction of labor, fetal adiposity > 90 th centile remained a risk factor for Cesarean delivery (P < 0.0001). A fetal adiposity composite > 90 th centile was more predictive of the need for unplanned Cesarean delivery than was an estimated fetal weight > 90 th centile (odds ratio, 2.20 (95% CI, 1.65-2.94; P < 0.001) vs 1.74 (95% CI, 1.29-2.35; P < 0.001). Having an adiposity composite > 90 th centile was not associated with an increased likelihood of operative vaginal delivery when compared with having an adiposity composite ≤ 90 th centile (P = 0.37)., Conclusions: Fetuses with increased adipose deposition are more likely to require Cesarean delivery than are those without increased adiposity. Consideration should, therefore, be given to adding fetal thigh adiposity and abdominal wall thickness to fetal sonographic assessment in late pregnancy. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd., (Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To determine the incidence and impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on maternal and fetal morbidity in the low-risk primigravid population., Methods: This was a prospective study with retrospective analysis of delivery outcome data. All low-risk primigravida who met the inclusion criteria during the recruitment period were approached. BMI was calculated using the formula weight/height squared. The participants were divided into five categories: 'underweight' (BMI <20 kg/m2), 'normal' (BMI 20.01-25 kg/m2), 'overweight' (BMI 25.01-30 kg/m2), 'obese' (BMI 30.01-40 kg/m2), and 'morbidly obese' (BMI >40 kg/m2). Maternal outcomes evaluated included gestation at delivery, onset of labor (spontaneous/induced/elective cesarean section), length of labor, use of oxytocin and epidural, mode of delivery, and estimated blood loss. Perinatal outcome measures included infant birth weight (kg) and centile, gestational age, ponderal index, Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes, cord pH <7.1, presence of meconium grade 3 at delivery, degree of resuscitation required, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and duration of stay., Results: One thousand and eleven women participated in the study. Complete outcome data were available for 833 women (82%). A significant difference was identified in gestation at delivery between the subgroups (p < 0.004). A significant positive correlation was identified between cesarean section rates with increasing BMI, even when gestation was controlled for (p = 0.004). Similarly, women in the normal BMI group remained significantly less likely to have an infant requiring NICU admission than obese women (2.2% vs. 8.6%; p = 0.011)., Conclusion: High BMI is associated with longer gestations, higher operative delivery rates, and an increased rate of neonatal intensive care admission