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Neuraxial labor analgesia is recognized as the most effective method of providing pain relief during labor. Little is known about variation in the rates of neuraxial analgesia across US states. Identifying the presence and extent of variation may provide insights into practice variation and may indicate where access to neuraxial analgesia is inadequate. To test the hypothesis that variation exists in neuraxial labor analgesia use among US states. Retrospective, population-based, cross-sectional analysis using US birth certificate data. Participants were 2 625 950 women who underwent labor in 2015. State-specific prevalence of neuraxial analgesia per 100 women who underwent labor and variability in neuraxial analgesia use among states, assessed using multilevel multivariable regression modeling with the median odds ratio and the intraclass correlation coefficient to evaluate variation by state. In the study population of 2 625 950 women, 0.1% (n = 2010) were younger than 15 years, 7.0% (n = 183 546) were between the ages of 15 and 19 years, 23.6% (n = 620 118) were between the ages of 20 and 24 years, 29.6% (n = 777 957) were between the ages of 25 and 29 years, 26.0% (n = 683 656) were between the ages of 30 and 34 years, 11.4% (n = 298 237) were between the ages of 35 and 39 years, 2.2% (n = 57 130) were between the ages of 40 and 44 years, and 0.1% (n = 3296) were between the ages of 45 and 54 years. More than 90% were privately insured or insured with Medicaid. Neuraxial analgesia was used by 73.1% (n = 1 920 368) of women. After adjustment for antepartum, obstetric, and intrapartum factors, Maine had the lowest neuraxial analgesia prevalence (36.6%; 95% CI, 33.2%-40.1%) and Nevada the highest (80.1%; 95% CI, 78.3%-81.7%). The adjusted median odds ratio was 1.5 (95% CI, 1.4-1.6), and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 5.4% (95% CI, 4.0%-7.9%). Results of this study suggest that a small portion of the overall variation in neuraxial analgesia use is explained by US states. Unmeasured patient-level and hospital-level factors likely account for a large portion of the variation between states. Efforts should be made to understand what the main reasons are for this variation and whether the variation influences maternal or perinatal outcomes.

With increasing rates of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in high-income countries, an important clinical concern is the impact of labor duration on the risk of PPH. This study examined the relationship between increasing active first stage labor duration and PPH and explored the role of second stage labor duration and cesarean delivery (CD) in this association. Including 77,690 nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset, first stage labor duration was defined as the time from 5 cm to 10 cm, second stage duration from 10 cm dilation to birth and PPH as estimated blood loss > 1000 ml. Using modified Poisson regression for risk ratios (RR) and confidence intervals (CI), we found a 1.5-fold (RR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.41‒1.66) increased PPH risk when first stage of labor exceeded 12.1 h compared to the reference (< 7.7 h). Mediation analysis showed that 18.5% (95% CI, 9.7‒29.6) of the increased PPH risk with a prolonged first stage (≥ 7.7 h) was due to a prolonged second stage (> 3 h) or CD. These results suggest that including first stage duration in intrapartum assessments could improve PPH risk identification in first-time mothers with a singleton fetus in vertex presentation at full term with spontaneous labor onset.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are important causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity in the US. However, the extent of statewide variation in the prevalence of chronic hypertension, pregnancy-induced hypertension or preeclampsia, and eclampsia in the US remains unknown. To examine the extent of statewide variation in the prevalence of chronic hypertension, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including pregnancy-induced hypertension or preeclampsia), and eclampsia in the US. A cross-sectional study using 2017 US birth certificate data was conducted from September 1, 2019, to February 1, 2020. A population-based sample of 3 659 553 women with a live birth delivery was included. State-specific prevalence of chronic hypertension, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and eclampsia was assessed using multilevel multivariable logistic regression, with the median odds ratio (MOR) to evaluate statewide variation. Of the 3 659 553 women, 185 932 women (5.1%) were younger than 20 years, 727 573 women (19.9%) were aged between 20 and 24 years, 1 069 647 women (29.2%) were aged between 25 and 29 years, 1 037 307 women (28.3%) were aged between 30 and 34 years, 523 607 women (14.3%) were aged between 35 and 39 years, and 115 487 women (3.2%) were 40 years or older. Most women had Medicaid (42.8%) or private insurance (49.4%). Hawaii had the lowest adjusted prevalence of chronic hypertension (1.0%; 95% CI, 0.9%-1.2%), and Alaska had the highest (3.4%; 95% CI, 3.0%-3.9%). Massachusetts had the lowest adjusted prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (4.3%; 95% CI, 4.1%-4.6%), and Louisiana had the highest (9.3%; 95% CI, 8.9%-9.8%). Delaware had the lowest adjusted prevalence of eclampsia (0.03%; 95% CI, 0.01%-0.09%), and Hawaii had the highest (2.8%; 95% CI, 2.2%-3.4%). The degree of statewide variation was high for eclampsia (MOR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.88-2.82), indicating that the median odds of eclampsia were 2.4-fold higher if the same woman delivered in a US state with a higher vs lower prevalence of eclampsia. Modest variation between states was observed for chronic hypertension (MOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.20-1.33) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (MOR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.13-1.21). The findings of this study suggest that after accounting for patient-level and state-level variables, substantial state-level variation exists in the prevalence of eclampsia. These data can inform future public-health inquiries to identify reasons for the eclampsia variability.

We examined the characteristics of women who choose nitrous oxide for labor analgesia and identified factors that predict conversion from nitrous oxide to labor neuraxial analgesia. Retrospective descriptive study. Labor and Delivery Ward. 146 pregnant women who used nitrous oxide for analgesia during labor and delivery between September 2014 and September 2015. Chart review only. Demographic, obstetric, and intrapartum characteristics of women using nitrous oxide were examined. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with conversion from nitrous oxide to neuraxial analgesia. Data are presented as n (%), median [IQR], adjusted relative risk (aRR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) as appropriate. During the study period, 146 women used nitrous oxide for labor analgesia (accounting for 3% of the total deliveries). The majority (71.9%) of women who used nitrous oxide were nulliparous, and over half (51.9%) had expressed an initial preference for “nonmedical birth.” The conversion rate to neuraxial blockade was 63.2%, compared to a concurrent institutional rate of 85.1% in women who did not use nitrous oxide. Factors associated with conversion from nitrous oxide to neuraxial blockade were labor induction (aRR=2.0, CI 1.2–3.3) and labor augmentation (aRR=1.7, CI 1.0–2.9). Only a small number of women opted to use nitrous oxide during labor, analgesia was minimal, and most converted to neuraxial analgesia. Women with induced and augmented labors should be counseled about the increased likelihood that they will convert to neuraxial analgesia. •Only a small number of women opted to use nitrous oxide during labor.•Nitrous oxide offered limited analgesia to laboring women.•The majority of women using nitrous oxide during labor converted to neuraxial analgesia.•Labor induction and augmentation were associated with conversion to neuraxial analgesia.

Obstetric anesthesiologists commonly care for high-risk obstetric patients. However, it is unclear how obstetricians refer these patients for anesthetic evaluation and whether obstetric anesthesia clinics (OACs) are used. Our study aims were to determine the availability and characteristics of OACs at US academic obstetric centers and to evaluate how high-risk patients are referred for anesthetic evaluation. This is a survey study design. University of Virginia Center for Survey Research. A survey questionnaire was constructed and electronically mailed to obstetric anesthesia directors based at hospitals with accredited anesthesia residency programs. One hundred thirteen obstetric anesthesia directors were contacted. We asked questions about the presence and operational characteristics of OACs. These characteristics were compared between hospitals with high, medium, and low annual delivery volumes. We also inquired about how high-risk patients are referred for anesthetic evaluation. Frequencies were compared using Fisher test, with P< .05 considered as statistically significant. The survey response rate was 58% (n = 65). Overall, only 25 (38%) respondents indicated that their hospital operated an OAC. The proportion of hospitals with an OAC and OAC operational hours did not significantly vary according to hospital delivery volume. Among hospitals with an OAC, 24% respondents indicated that obstetricians always refer high-risk patients to the OAC. Nearly half of respondents (44%) indicated that high-risk patients usually or sometimes receive their first anesthetic evaluation during the delivery hospitalization. Our findings suggest that, among US academic centers, OACs are uncommon and the referral of high-risk patients for antenatal anesthetic evaluation is inconsistent. These findings suggest that more structured referral processes are needed to ensure that high-risk women receive anesthetic evaluation before labor or delivery. •This survey evaluates availability of obstetric anesthesia clinics at US academic centers.•This survey assesses antenatal referral processes of high-risk obstetric patients.•The proportion of academic centers with a formal obstetric anesthesia clinic is relatively low.•Obstetric referral of high-risk obstetric patients for antenatal anesthetic evaluation is inconsistent.

NICE recommendation is based on inconsistent and low quality evidence

Objective To estimate racial and ethnic differences in rates of hospital-based care associated with postpartum depression. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes within data from the Office of Statewide Planning and Development in California. We included primiparous women who underwent delivery hospitalization from 2008 to 2012. The primary outcome was the first postpartum hospital encounter with a ICD-9-CM code for depression over a 9-month period after delivery. We examined the cumulative incidence of hospital-based care for postpartum depression by race/ethnicity. Logistic regression was used to estimate relative risk. Results The study cohort consisted of 984,167 primiparous women: 314,037 (32%) were non-Hispanic White; 59,754 (6%) were non-Hispanic Black; 150,855 (15%) were non-Hispanic Asian; 448,770 (46%) were Hispanic; and 10,399 (1%) were other races. The cumulative incidence of hospital-based care for postpartum depression was highest for Black women (39; 95% CI = 34–44 per 10,000 deliveries) and lowest for Asian women (7; 95% CI = 5–8 per 10,000 deliveries). Compared with White women, hospital-based care for postpartum depression was more likely to be provided to Black women (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.9–2.7), whereas care was less likely for Asians (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.3–0.5) and Hispanics (OR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.7–1.0). Similar findings were observed after excluding women with antepartum depression, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables, and stratifying according to care settings. Conclusion Compared with White women, hospital-based care for postpartum depression more frequently impacts Black women. Identifying and improving inequities in access to and utilization of mental health care for postpartum women should be a maternal health priority.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of obstetric morbidity. There is limited understanding of patients' knowledge about blood loss at delivery, PPH, and PPH-related morbidities, including transfusion and anemia. We surveyed 100 healthy postpartum patients who underwent vaginal or cesarean delivery about blood loss, and whether they received information about transfusion and peripartum hemoglobin (Hb) testing. Responses were compared between women undergoing vaginal delivery vs. cesarean delivery; P < 0.05 considered as statistically significant. In our cohort, 49 women underwent vaginal delivery and 51 women underwent cesarean delivery. Only 29 (29%) of women provided blood loss estimates for their delivery. Women who underwent cesarean delivery were more likely to receive clear information about transfusion therapy than those undergoing vaginal delivery (43.1% vs. 20.4% respectively; P = 0.04). Women who underwent vaginal delivery were more likely to receive results of postpartum Hb tests compared to those undergoing cesarean delivery (49% vs. 29.4%; P = 0.02). Our findings suggest that women are poorly informed about the magnitude of blood loss at delivery. Hematologic information given to patients varies according to mode of delivery. Further research is needed to better understand the clinical implications of patients' knowledge gaps about PPH, transfusion and postpartum anemia.

Abstract Objective Patient education materials (PEM) should be written at a sixth-grade reading level or lower. We evaluated the availability and readability of online PEM related to regional anesthesia and compared the readability and content of online PEM produced by fellowship and nonfellowship institutions. Methods With IRB exemption, we constructed a cohort of online regional anesthesia PEM by searching Websites from North American academic medical centers supporting a regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine fellowships and used a standardized Internet search engine protocol to identify additional nonfellowship Websites with regional anesthesia PEM based on relevant keywords. Readability metrics were calculated from PEM using the TextStat 0.1.4 textual analysis package for Python 2.7 and compared between institutions with and without a fellowship program. The presence of specific descriptive PEM elements related to regional anesthesia was also compared between groups. Results PEM from 17 fellowship and 15 nonfellowship institutions were included in analyses. The mean (SD) Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for PEM from the fellowship group was 13.8 (2.9) vs 10.8 (2.0) for the nonfellowship group (p = 0.002). We observed no other differences in readability metrics between fellowship and nonfellowship institutions. Fellowship-based PEM less commonly included descriptions of the following risks: local anesthetic systemic toxicity (p = 0.033) and injury due to an insensate extremity (p = 0.003). Conclusions Available online PEM related to regional anesthesia are well above the recommended reading level. Further, fellowship-based PEM posted are at a higher reading level than PEM posted by nonfellowship institutions and are more likely to omit certain risk descriptions.