Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2006;28(3):179-183
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032006000300007
PURPOSE: to diagnose and treat diabetic pregnant women with antiphospholipid antibodies and to describe the gestational and perinatal results. METHODS: we evaluated 56 gestational and pregestational diabetic women who were attended at one specialized prenatal care unit, between July 2003 and March 2004. All of them had a blood test to quantify antiphospholipid antibodies. If positive, they were treated with heparin and aspirin at low doses and the usual treatment for diabetes. We calculated the prevalence and 95% confidence interval for all and also those for the pregestational ones. The characteristics of the pregnancies and the newborns are described. RESULTS: antiphospholipid antibodies prevalence among the diabetic pregnant women was 7% (95% CI - 0.1 to 13.9). Among pregestational diabetic women it was 12% (95% CI - 0.2 to 23.3). Among the diabetic women with antiphospholipid antibodies the duration of disease was five years or more. Maternal age in positive antiphospholipid antibodies diabetics ranged from 27 to 38 years; one was primiparous, another was secundiparous and two were multiparous. CONCLUSION: antiphospholipid antibodies prevalence in diabetic pregnant women was similar to that in the general population and lower than that of the pregestational diabetic women.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(9):709-714
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000900006
PURPOSE: to study the relationship between previous cesarean section and abruptio placentae. METHODS: a retrospective study reviewed 6495 deliveries between April 2001 and January 2004. The adopted inclusion criteria were: clinical diagnosis of abruptio placentae confirmed by placental examination after delivery, single pregnancy, birth weight >500 g, gestational age >22 weeks and no history of abdominal trauma. Five controls were selected for each abruptio placentae case and were matched for the following parameters: parity, gestational age (< or > 30 weeks), maternal arterial hypertension during pregnancy, presence of nonobstetrical uterine scar, premature rupture of membranes and polyhydramnios. Statistical analysis of continuous variables was perfomed by Student's t test. Statistical significance of the comparisons of categorical variables was evaluated by the chi2 test or by the Fisher exact test. p values <0.05 were considered to be significant. RESULTS: thirty-four cases of abruptio placentae were included (incidence 0.52%). The control group included 170 cases that fulfilled the matching criteria. The incidence of previous cesarean section in the abruptio placentae group was 26.5% (9 cases) and in the control group it was 21.2% (36 cases). No significant difference was found between the groups (p=0.65, OR=1.34, CI 95%=0.53-3.34). CONCLUSION: the present study was not able to demonstrate association between abruptio placentae and previous cesarean section.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(8):649-653
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000800009
PURPOSE: to assess the correlation between middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity and umbilical cord blood hemoglobin concentration and to determine its diagnostic value. PATIENTS AND METHODS: a cross-sectional prospective study was performed from January 2000 to May 2003. Forty-four isoimmunized pregnant women underwent a protocol for the identification of fetal hemolysis. When intrauterine transfusions were indicated, the umbilical cord blood hemoglobin concentration was measured at the beginning of the procedure. Each intrauterine transfusion preceded by Doppler velocimetry of the middle cerebral artery was regarded as one case, summing up eighty-three procedures. In all cases, the middle cerebral artery Doppler examinations were performed within the three hours preceding fetal blood sample collection. The systolic velocity peak was recorded and considered abnormal when its value was above 1.5 times the median for the corresponding gestational age. Hemocue® (B-Hemoglobin Photometer Hemocue AB; Angelholm, Sweden) was the device used to measure fetal hemoglobin concentration. The relationship between middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity and cord blood hemoglobin was obtained by the chi2 test, considered significant at p<0.05. RESULTS: in thirty-three cases the cord blood hemoglobin concentration was below 10.0 g/dL. There was a strong correlation between the two measured variables (p<0.001). The middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity with values above 1.5 times the median was associated with cord blood hemoglobin concentration below 10 g/mL (p<0,001). The sensitivity of an increased middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity was 75.8% for the detection of a cord blood hemoglobin level of 10 g/dL or lower. CONCLUSION: the middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity can be used as a noninvasive method for the diagnosis of fetal anemia.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(5):383-389
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000500007
OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the measurement of uterine height in order to predict fetal growth restriction (FGR), according to a local curve. METHODS: from July 2000 to February 2003, 238 high-risk pregnant women were submitted to uterine height measurements between the 20th and the 42nd week of gestation. The gestational age of all the women was well known, confirmed by early ultrasound. Fifty (21%) women gave birth to infants considered small for their gestational age. The measures were performed by a single observer, who took 1617 uterine height measurements, from the upper border of the symphysis pubis to the fundus uteri, using tape measurement. The diagnosis of FGR was confirmed after birth according to the Ramos's curve. The women were divided into two groups according to their infant's birth weight and the data were statistically analyzed by the Fisher's exact test or Kruskal-Wallis's test. The sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. The test for two proportions with normal approximation was performed to analyze the continuous variables. RESULTS: one measurement below the 10th percentile, according to gestational age, resulted in SE = 78.0%, SP = 77.1%, PPV = 47.6%, and NPV = 88.8% for the identification of FGR. If one measurement was below the 5th percentile, the SE, SP, PPV, and NPV were 64.0, 89.9, 62.7 and 90.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: one measurement below the 10th percentile for the gestational age, according to the local curve, proved to be a good predictor of FGR.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2003;25(5):323-328
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032003000500004
PURPOSE: to determine whether an elective cesarean section at the 38th week of gestation for HIV positive patients, in spite of decreasing vertical transmission, increases the risk of maternal death. METHODS: fifty-eight HIV-infected patients were studied and submitted to the complete ACTG 076 protocol (oral administration of zidovudine in the prenatal period associated with the intravenous form at delivery) followed by an elective cesarean section at the 38th week of gestation. The control group consisted of 226 noninfected women (the first four patients submitted to an elective cesarian section after each cesarian section in infected patient). The analyzed variables were: uterine atonia, puerperal fever, abdominal wall infection, urinary infection, endometritis, average blood loss, surgery time, and hospitalization time. Data were analyzed by the c² test (the Fisher test was used when there were less than 5 cases). The relative risk was calculated with the Epi-Info 6.0 program. RESULTS: results show that the elective cesarean section performed on HIV-positive patients, when compared to the control group, did not present a higher incidence of uterine atonia, puerperal fever, abdominal wall infection, urinary infection or endometritis. However, a greater average blood loss (2.26 relative risk) was recorded as well as an extended surgery time (3.32 relative risk). The HIV-infected patients remained less time in hospital than the noninfected control group (0.33 relative risk). CONCLUSION: we conclude that there was no increase in maternal morbidity after cesarean section as a means of interrupting gestation in the HIV-infected patients.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(5):343-346
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000500009
Aplastic anemia is characterized by a circulating pancytopenia, hypocellularity, and fatty replacement of cellular marrow elements, without evidence of malignant transformation or myeloproliferative disease. It usually affects young and senior adults, without any sexual preference. Most cases of aplastic anemia are acquired, but the disease may also be inherited due to a molecular disorder (Fanconi's anemia). Aplastic anemia in pregnancy is an extremely rare condition with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality rates. The authors describe a case of a patient with previously diagnosed aplastic anemia, whose pregnancy was complicated with urinary tract infection, preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction, with elective preterm birth. In spite of the adverse conditions in pregnancy and delivery, mother and newborn had a satisfactory clinical evolution.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(3):153-160
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000300002
Purpose: to study the fetal hemodynamic profile in high-risk pregnancy and correlate it with perinatal results. Methods: transverse prospective study of 108 patients of the Obstetric Clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo University School of Medicine. The patients were evaluated at the Fetal Surveillance Unit, and Doppler examinations of umbilical, aorta, middle cerebral artery, inferior vena cava and ductus venosus were performed. The criteria for inclusion were patients whose delivery was in the next 24 hours after evaluation. Twin pregnancies and fetal malformations were excluded. Results: the hemodynamic implications in the fetal circulation were demonstrated by changes in the Doppler ultrasonographic results in the umbilical artery, aorta, middle cerebral artery, ductus venosus and in the inferior vena cava. The Doppler examinations were abnormal in the umbilical artery (25.9%), fetal aorta (24%), middle cerebral artery (34.2%), ductus venosus (18.2%) and inferior vena cava (46,6%). Segments of the fetal circulation which best correlated with the perinatal results were the umbilical artery and the ductus venosus. The abnormal results in the umbilical artery were significantly associated with 1st minute Apgar score <7 in 42.8% and need of neonatal intensive care unit in 50% of the cases. The abnormal results in the ductus venosus Doppler ultrasonography showed statistical association with 1st minute Apgar score <7 (52.6%), 5th min Apgar <7 (15.7%), acidemia at birth (60%), need of neonatal intensive care unit (52.6%) and neonatal death (21.1%). The predictive values of the ductus venosus Doppler for fetal acidemia were: sensitivity of 39.1; specificity of 90.4; positive predictive value of 60.0 and negative predictive value of 80.2. Conclusion: the Doppler ultrasonography allowed us to evaluate the fetal hemodynamics in the most varied situations and the study of the venous duct is an important examination in the evaluation of fetal hemodynamic response to hypoxia.