Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo87
To compare access and suitability of antenatal care between years 2020 and 2022 among postpartum individuals at a Hospital in Florianopolis, and evaluate factors associated with antenatal suitability.
Observational, cross-sectional, and quantitative study carried out in 2022. Collected data were compared with the database of a previous similar study carried out in the same setting in 2020. Data were extracted from medical records and prenatal booklets, in addition to a face-to-face questionnaire. Adequacy was measured using the Carvalho and Novaes index and health access was qualitatively evaluated. Socio-demographic and antenatal variables were analyzed. A statistical significance level of 0.05 was considered. Open-ended questions were categorized for analysis.
395 postpartum individuals were included. Antenatal care was adequate for 48.6% in 2020 and 69.1% in 2022. Among the barriers to access, 56% reported difficulty in scheduling appointments and/or exams and 23% complained of reduced healthcare staff due to strikes, COVID-19, among others. Adequate antenatal care was associated with being pregnant in 2022, being referred to high-risk units (PNAR), and not reporting difficulties in access. Also, it was associated with twice the chance of investigation for gestational diabetes (GDM) and syphilis.
The 2022 post-vaccination period showed higher antenatal adequacy. The main difficulty for postpartum individuals was scheduling appointments and/or exams. Having antenatal care in 2022, no reports of difficulty in access, and follow-up at a high-risk unit were associated with antenatal adequacy.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo69
To compare the effectiveness and safety of non-mRNA versus mRNA COVID-19 vaccines on pregnant women and their newborns in a systematic review with meta-analysis.
We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central in May 2023.
The search strategy yielded 4451 results, 16 studies were fully reviewed. We selected case-control studies analysing non-mRNA versus mRNA vaccines. Data collection and analysis: we assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Standardised mean differences were pooled using random-effect models.
We identified 8 prospective and retrospective studies with a total of 32,153 patients. Non-mRNA vaccines were associated with a higher incidence of fever (OR 2.67; 95% CI 2.08-3.43; p<0.001), and a lower incidence of fetal or neonatal death (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.08-0.33; p<0.001). In subgroup analyses, the Jansen vaccine (Ad26.COV2.S) was found to have a higher rate of premature labor/delivery (OR 4.48; 95% CI 1.45-13.83; p=0.009) and missed/spontaneous abortion (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.09-3.30; p=0.02), as compared with the Pfizer (BNT162b2) vaccine.
non-mRNA vaccines are associated with a lower incidence of fetal or neonatal death among pregnant women who receive a Covid19 vaccine, although at an increased rate of pyrexia compared with mRNA vaccines. Other studies are required for better assessment.
CRD42023421814
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo3
The aims of the study are to describe the association of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with the abnormal histopathological findings in human placenta and to highlight the potential predictors of these histopathological findings.
A retrospective cohort study, held in two obstetric units from January 2021- 2022, 34 patients who were confirmed cases of COVID- 19 were followed up till the time of delivery as their placenta were sent for histopathology. Patients diagnosed with other viral infections, chorioamnionitis, or were known case of as pre-term or term pre labour rupture of membrans (PROM) were excluded as well as pre exisiting diabetes mellitus or pre-eclampsia. Data analysis were performed using STATA software version 16.
Specific histopatological findings (fetal vascular malperfusion, maternal vascular malperfusion, inflammatory pathology and thrombotic finding) were significantly high among 13 (38.2%) of the study group who got infected earlier in pregnancy (P<0.001). The period between the diagnosis of COVID-19 and the delivery significantly increases the odds of the presence of pathological findings by 2.75 times for each week the patients getting infected earlier.
Association of abnormal placental histopathological findings with COVID-19 infection in pregnancy and the potential predictor for the occurrence of placental findings is the longer duration between the diagnosis of the infection and the delivery.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo17
To determine the prevalence of anxiety, depression and burnout in residents of Gynecology and Obstetrics during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and its associated factors.
Cross-sectional study involving all regions of Brazil, through the application of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS) instrument. Multivariate analysis was performed after adjusting the Poisson model.
Among the 719 participating medical residents, screening was positive for anxiety in 75.7% and for depression in 49.8% of cases. Burnout syndrome was evidenced in 41.3% of the physicians studied. Those with depression are more likely to have anxiety (OR 0.797; 95%CI 0.687 - 0.925) and burnout syndrome (OR 0.847 95%CI 0.74 - 0.97). Residents with anxiety (OR 0.805; 95%CI 0.699 - 0.928) and burnout (OR 0.841; 95%CI 0.734 - 0.963) are more likely to have depression.
High prevalence of anxiety, depression and burnout were found in residents of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Brazil, in addition to important correlations between anxiety-depression and depression-burnout.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo52
To analyze the death of Brazilian pregnant and postpartum women due to COVID-19 or unspecific cause.
This is retrospective, descriptive-exploratory, population-based study carried out with the Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe (SIVEP-Gripe) database, with pregnant and postpartum women of reproductive age who died from confirmed COVID-19 between 2020 and 2021. The chosen variables were: age, gestational period, type and number of comorbidities, skin color, using the statistical software R Foundation for Statistical Computing Platform, version 4.0.3 and Statistical Package for Social Science, version 29.0 for analysis.
A total of 19,333 cases of pregnant and postpartum women aged between 10 and 55 years diagnosed with SARS were identified, whether due to confirmed COVID-19 or unspecific causes. Of these, 1,279 died, these cases were classified into two groups according to the cause of death: deaths from COVID-19 (n= 1,026) and deaths from SARS of unspecific cause (n= 253).
The risk of death increased among black and brown women, in the postpartum period and with the presence of comorbidities, mainly diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. The data presented here draw attention to the number of deaths from SARS, especially among sociodemographic profiles, precarious access to health, such as the black population. In addition, limitations in adequate access to health care are reinforced by even lower rates of ICU admissions among women who died from SARS of an unspecified cause.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(12):796-807
Menopause causes several changes in the body that may affect the response to COVID-19. We aimed to investigate the possible association between menopausal status and incidence and outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Combinations of keywordsCOVID-19, menopause, and estrogen were used to search the PubMed, Embase, Web-of-Science, and Scopus databases for articles reporting the incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 (discharge, length-of-admission, intensive care, or mortality) in premenopausal women, available through December 29, 2022. Data from studies comparing the incidence of COVID-19 infection with the age-matched male population were pooled and meta-analyzed using a random-effects model.
Overall, 1,564 studies were retrieved, of which 12 were finally included in the systematic review to compare disease outcomes, and 6 were meta-analyzed for the incidence of COVID-19 in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. All studies reported better COVID-19-associated outcomes in premenopausal women compared with postmenopausal women. After adjusting for confounding factors, three studies found better outcomes in postmenopausal women, and two found no association between menopausal status and COVID-19 outcomes. Our meta-analysis found a higher incidence of COVID-19 infection among premenopausal women than postmenopausal women, when compared with age-matched men (odds ratio = 1.270; 95% confidence interval: 1.086–1.486; p = 0.003).
The incidence of COVID-19 was significantly higher in premenopausal women than in postmenopausal women when compared with age-matched men. Although premenopausal women may have more favorable COVID-19-associated outcomes, the presumed preventive effect of estrogens on the incidence and related outcomes of COVID-19 in premenopausal women cannot be proven at present. Further longitudinal studies comparing pre- and post-menopausal women are required to provide further insight into this matter.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(8):439-446
To evaluate the fetal and maternal effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity (n = 55) were compared with cases with similar characteristics and PCR negativity (n = 53). The study group was further divided into two groups as severe (n = 11) and nonsevere (n = 44) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The groups were compared in terms of clinical characteristics and perinatal outcomes.
The study and control groups were similar in terms of maternal age, parity, gestational age at diagnosis, type of hypertensive disorders, magnesium sulfate administration rate, gestational age at birth, birth weight, Apgar scores, and maternal complications. However, all cases of fetal loss (n = 6) were observed in the SARS-CoV-2 positive group (p = 0.027). From the 6 cases, there were 5 in the nonsevere group and 1 patient in the severe SARS-CoV-2 positive group. Moreover, higher rates of maternal complications, lower oxygen saturation values, and intensive care unit admissions were observed in the severe COVID-19 group.
Physicians should be cautious about the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy cases with SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Fetal loss seems to be more common in cases with SARS-CoV-2 positivity and severe COVID-19 seems to be associated with higher rates of maternal complications. Close follow-up for fetal wellbeing and active management of severe cases in terms of maternal complications seem to be favorable.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(7):377-383
To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the residency of gynecology and obstetrics in São Paulo.
Cross-sectional study developed by representatives of residents of the Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the State of São Paulo (SOGESP, in the Portuguese acronym). Data were collected from questionnaires applied to gynecology and obstetrics residents registered on the SOGESP website in February 2022. The interviewees answered about the repercussions of the pandemic on medical residency and whether they had technical and psychological support during the period.
A total of 247 questionnaires were collected from residents of gynecology and obstetrics. The residents had an age of 28.3 ± 3 years old, and most of them were female (88.4%). The displacement to COVID care was reported by 62.34% of the students, but only 35.6% reported completely adequate personal protective equipment and only 7.7% reported complete theoretical and technical instruction to support these patients. Almost all of the interviewees stated that the gynecology sector was the most affected. The majority of the interviewees considered that the second-year residents had the greatest loss, and more than half of the residents in the 1st and 2nd year said they wished to give up their residency during the pandemic. More than 80% of the residents reported online theoretical classes and/or presentation of articles, reinforcing the fact that virtual activities gained a greater space within the medical residency.
The pandemic impacted the residency in greater proportion in outpatient clinics and gynecological surgeries, also interfering with the physician's desire to continue with the program.