Obstetrical & gynecological survey
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Obstet Gynecol Surv · Feb 2004
ReviewMisoprostol: a quarter century of use, abuse, and creative misuse.
Misoprostol is a prostaglandin E1 analog originally intended for use to prevent NSAID-induced gastric ulcers. However, because of its cervical ripening and uterotonic property, misoprostol has become one of the most useful drugs in obstetrics and gynecology. ⋯ Its use for routine prevention of postpartum hemorrhage has not been so successful, partly as the high doses required for this indication often result in troublesome side effects. Despite the large body of medical evidence about its efficacy and relative safety, the use of misoprostol in pregnant women remained off-label until the spring of 2002.
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Obstet Gynecol Surv · Jan 2004
ReviewNonobstetric surgery during pregnancy: what are the risks of anesthesia?
The need for anesthesia and surgery during pregnancy occurs in 1.5% to 2.0% of all pregnancies. Each year, over 75,000 pregnant women in the United States undergo nonobstetric surgery. ⋯ This controversy was primarily attributed to the lay press speculations that surgery and anesthesia in pregnancy could pose hazards to the mother and fetus. Despite these concerns, the safety of nonobstetric surgery and anesthesia in pregnancy has been well established, and many pregnant women are safely anesthetized everyday without ill effects for the mother or fetus.
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Obstet Gynecol Surv · Jan 2004
ReviewNeurologic complication of labor analgesia: facts and fiction.
Regional anesthesia has become a hallmark of modern obstetric anesthesia practice and a paramount technique for labor analgesia. Neurologic complications associated with present-day labor analgesia are thought to be unusual; however, they can occasionally complicate peripartum obstetric and anesthetic management of pregnant patients. ⋯ Therefore, a series of systemic literature searches (Medline) to identify the articles on neurologic complication of labor analgesia was conducted. This review article summarizes the evidence from published articles on this topic, with particular emphasis on the mechanism of neurologic injury, lidocaine-related transient neurologic symptoms, anticoagulation and vascular compromise, diagnostic evaluation, and prevention of neurologic obstetric anesthesia-related neurologic injury in pregnancy.
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Obstet Gynecol Surv · Dec 2003
ReviewLabor analgesia for the parturient with an uncommon disorder: a common dilemma in the delivery suite.
There appears to be an absence of uniform guidelines for management of labor analgesia in pregnant patients with uncommon medical conditions such as Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, achondroplastic dwarfism, previous back surgery, and kyphoscoliosis. A Medline search for articles highlighting considerations for obstetric anesthesia in parturients with these disorders was performed. Because of the multiorgan involvement and varied presentations of these disorders, no uniform or routine obstetric anesthetic recommendations can be made. In the absence of uniform obstetric anesthesia guidelines for pregnant patients with Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, achondroplastic dwarfism, previous back surgery, and kyphoscoliosis, the decision whether to administer regional anesthesia (epidural labor analgesia) should be based on an individual risk-to-benefit ratio on a case-by-case basis.
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Many clinicians in the United States routinely screen all pregnant women in their practices for gestational diabetes. Recently, the US Preventive Services Task Force re-emphasized that such screening is not supported by rigorous scientific evidence. Recommendations for diagnosis and management are based on an even scantier scientific foundation. Although this review questions several aspects of current dogma, it, too, is based on the frequently flawed existing data. It is surprising how, in spite of an abundance of published information on the subject, we continue to be ignorant of the real benefits of the widespread practice of screening and treating for gestational diabetes. The authors hope that the results of a randomized clinical trial, now in progress, will help to resolve some of the controversies surrounding gestational diabetes. ⋯ After completion of this article, the reader should be able to describe the controversy surrounding the significance of gestational diabetes, to break down the data regarding the efficacy of screening for gestational diabetes, and to outline potential treatment options for gestational diabetes.