Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(8):437-441
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000800002
Purpose:to compare the incidence of preterm labor and birth, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and low birth-weight newborns (< 2,500 g) between two groups of pregnant women (with or without BV). To verify the adequacy of including a regular prenatal BV investigation. Methods:a total of 217 women between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy (35 with BV and 182 without BV) were studied. The diagnosis of BV was established according to Amsel's criteria. The data were analyzed by the chi² test, Fisher's test, Mann-Whitney test and the relative risk. Results:the incidence of preterm labor, preterm birth, PROM and low birth-weight was statistically higher in the group of women with BV than in the control group (29.4% vs. 3.8%; 28.6% vs. 3.3%; 22.9% vs. 10.4%; 20.0% vs. 3.3%; respectively). The means of gestational age and birth-weight were significantly lower in the newborns from mothers with BV (265.8 days vs. 279.9 days; 2,958 g vs. 3,294 g, respectively). Conclusion:all perinatal complications studied were significantly associated with the presence of untreated BV during pregnancy. Therefore, the diagnosis and adequate treatment should be included in the routine prenatal assistance at Brazilian Obstetrics Services. Such measure may be effective in the reduction of these perinatal complications.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1999;21(5):251-258
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031999000500002
Purpose: to evaluate whether prophylactic use of ampicillin could avoid or reduce maternal and perinatal infectious morbidity caused by premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and to extend the gestation period in those women. Methods: this was a prospective, randomized and double-blind study, carried out evaluating 121 pregnant women with PROM, randomized into two study groups. The treatment group (61 patients) received ampicillin and the control group (60 patients) received placebo. The placebo had the same characteristics as ampicillin (kind of packaging and color of the capsules) and was used in the same time regimen. The considered parameters for maternal infection were febrile morbidity (fever index), and the presence of chorioamnionitis and/or endometritis. The studied neonatal parameters were Apgar score (1st and 5th minutes), bacterial colonization of auditory canal, and blood culture. The statistical tests performed were Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon, and chi². Results: it was observed that ampicillin did not prolong the gestation, nor did it reduce the postpartum febrile morbidity or the rates of chorioamnionitis and/or endometritis. Ampicillin did not reduce the perinatal infectious morbidity nor improve the birth outcomes. All these results were consistent in cases of less than 72 h PROM. The limited number of cases with time of PROM greater than 72 h did not permit statistical analysis free of type II error. Conclusions: based on these results it was possible to conclude that the prophylactic use of ampicillin by pregnant women with less than 72 h PROM did not reduce either infectious maternal or perinatal morbidity. However, the presence of group B Streptococcus agalactiae in the blood culture from a neonate in the control group showed the necessity to start antibiotic treatment of pregnant women colonized by this microorganism.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(2):147-151
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000200010
PURPOSE: to assess the length of the uterine cervix by transvaginal ultrasonography in pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes. METHODS: the study group (Ge) consisted of 26 pregnant women with gestational age between 24 and 36 weeks and the control group (Gc) of 49 clinically normal patients at the same gestational age. The patients were evaluated between the 24th to 28th, 28th to 32th and 32th to 36th weeks. The groups were divided into subgroups Ge24-28, Ge28-32, Ge32-36 and Gc24-28, Gc28-32, Gc32-36, according to the study or control group. The cervix length was measured by transvaginal ultrasonography as the linear distance between the internal and external cervical os. RESULTS: we observed significant differences in cervix length between Ge24-28 and Gc24-28 groups whose values were, respectively, 24.3 and 33.0 mm (p=0.04), and between Ge32-36 and Gc32-36, 20.1 and 28.0 mm, respectively (p=0.005). The latency periods of Ge24-28, Ge28-32 and Ge32-36 were, respectively, seven, five and three days, showing a positive correlation with cervix length (r=0.66) and a negative correlation with gestational age (r=-0.27). CONCLUSIONS: the length of the uterine cervix varied with the gestational age when premature preterm rupture of the membranes was detected, with the length being shorter in the study group than in the control group betweeen the 24th and 28th and 32th and 36th weeks. In addition, it was demonstrated that, the shorter the cervix length, the shorter the latency time, with a reduction in the latency period with increasing gestational age at the time of rupture.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2003;25(10):739-744
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032003001000007
PURPOSE: to verify the contribution of maternal age, parity, twin pregnancy, hypertensive syndrome, and premature rupture of membranes as risk factors for cesarean section. METHODS: after approval by the Ethics in Research Committee of the "Maternidade Professor Monteiro de Morais" - Recife, PE - Brazil, for a case control study, the authors analyzed data from 3919 pregnant women, without two or more prior cesarean sections, who gave birth to alive newborns with gestational age equal to or more than 28 weeks, weighing at least 1,000 g, on cephalic presentation, from September 1, 1999 to August 31, 2000. The case group included women submitted to cesarean section and the control group included women submitted to vaginal delivery. With the data collected from obstetric and neonatal reports, the authors performed multivariate analysis by logistic regression to determine a mathematical equation that associates cesarean probability due to more than one independent variable acting as risk factor, determining odds ratio with a confidence interval of 95% (95% CI), for the variables: maternal age, parity, twin pregnancy, hypertensive syndrome, and premature rupture of membranes. RESULTS: the chances for cesarean section significantly increased 8.3 times in twin pregnancy (OR = 8.3; 95% CI: 3.7-19.1), 3.4 in hypertensive syndrome (OR = 3.4; 95% CI: 2.9-4.0), 1.9 in primiparity (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.8-2.0), 1.5 in maternal age over 34 years (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-1.8), and 1.2 in the presence of premature rupture of membranes (OR = 1.2; 95 %CI: 1.0-1.4). CONCLUSIONS: the risk for cesarean section was greater in the presence of premature rupture of membranes, maternal age greater than 34 years, primiparity, hypertensive syndrome, and twin pregnancy.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2003;25(2):109-114
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032003000200006
PURPOSE: to evaluate maternal and perinatal outcomes of premature rupture of membranes up to the 26th week of gestation. METHODS: retrospective analysis of the cases of premature rupture of membranes up to the 26th week of gestation, without signs of labor or treatment for this condition before admission, followed up at the Obstetric Pathology Infirmary of the "Maternidade Escola Assis Chateaubriand", Federal University of Ceará, from January 1994 to December 1999. The cases with gestational age less than 22 weeks and birth weight lower than 500 g were excluded. Premature rupture of membranes was confirmed by sterile speculum examination. In doubt, amniotic fluid crystallization test and pH determination were performed. All pregnant women underwent ultrasound examination to determine gestational age and amniotic fluid volume. Data concerning the result of gestation and consequences for the mother, fetus and neonate were analyzed. RESULTS: a total of 29 cases of premature rupture of membranes fulfilled inclusion criteria. The mean gestational age at rupture of membranes was 22 weeks. The mean duration of the latency period was 21.7 days. There Were 22 spontaneous vaginal and 3 induced deliveries, besides 4 cesarean sections. In six pregnant women there were signs of infection before labor. Antibiotics were administered in 37.9% of the cases and corticosteroids in 6.9%. No patient underwent tocolysis. There were 3 fetal and 25 neonatal deaths. Only one infant survived. This child remained at the neonatal care unit for 19 days due to infection and respiratory distress syndrome. There was no maternal death. CONCLUSION: the premature rupture of membranes up to the 26th week of gestation has been a fatal discase for fetuses and newborns in our institution.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(6):383-387
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000600005
Purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic amnioinfusion in severe oligohydramnios. Methods: twelve patients with severe oligohydramnios in the second and third trimester of pregnancy were submitted to amnioinfusion. The procedure was done using a warm physiological saline at a rate of 20 mL/min followed by the instillation of 5 mL of dye. The amniotic fluid index (AFI) was measured before the procedure and 30 min afterwards and in case of fetal anomalies, it was documented. The gestational age ranged from 18 to 34 weeks (average 25 ± 4 weeks). The average of the initial ILA was 10.3cm and after the procedure was 16.4 cm. The volume of saline solution infused ranged from 300 to 1000 mL (605.4 ± 224.1 mL). Results: in nine patients (75%) the procedure led to an etiologic diagnosis: four cases of premature rupture of membranes and major malformations in five fetuses. In two patients the oligohydramnios was considered idiopathic and in one patient the pathological examination revealed a placental infarct. Nine pregnancies (75%) were interrupted after the diagnosis and in three cases it was maintained for 8.8 weeks after the amnioinfusion. All fetuses died, seven of them had neonatal death and the remaining had intrauterine death. Conclusion: amnioinfusion is an effective method with high precision, enabling the etiologic diagnosis of severe oligohydramnios in 75% of the cases.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(1):15-20
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000100003
Purpose: to evaluate the effects of ascending infection on the mother and newborn in the cases of premature rupture of membranes. Methods: this was a prospective study, carried out to evaluate 50 pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and their newborns. The clinical chorioamnionitis was investigated by clinical findings (thermal curve, abdominal pain by groping and/or uterine softening, smell and other characteristics of vaginal secretion) and subsidiary tests (white blood cell count and C-reactive protein). The histologic chorioamnionitis was investigated by macroscopic and microscopic study (placenta, membranes and cord). In the microscopic study optic microscopy with hematoxylin-eosin staining was used. The newborns were evaluated as to weight and Apgar score in the first and fifth minutes of life. White blood cell count, culture of auditory canal swab and aspirated gastric material culture complemented the study. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher exact test and the Student t-test, with level of significance set at 5% (p < 0.05). Results: The rate of clinical chorioamnionitis was 29.4% (15/50), while for histologic chorioamnionitis it was 40% (20/50). All the cases of clinical chorioamnionitis had latency times (LT) higher than 24 hours. The newborns presented signal of infection in 31.4% of the cases (16/51), all with LT higher than 24 hours. The main isolated microorganisms of auditive duct and gastric aspirate of newborns were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Gram positive coccus and group B Streptococcus. The infected newborns presented lower Apgar scores in the first and fifth minute of life, lower weight and higher perinatal morbidity and mortality when compared with newborns without infection. Conclusions: based on the analysis of results obtained in the present study, it was possible to conclude that the prolonged latency times increase the possibility of ascending infection, leading to higher possibility of premature delivery and high maternal morbidity (clinical chorioamnionitis), as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality.