An Android App for Ostetricians

This app helps keep track of patients. The patients are maintained based on an ID. Patient's details can be entered. You can have your own fields (as toggles or checkboxes). All patients can be viewed in one list, ordered by EDC. You can import and export the database, so, in case you change the phone, you continue using the software. You can also save it to a csv file, which can be viewed using programs like Excel, and may be used to prepare your statistics.


download from Android Play Store

Multi-fetal Pregnancy Reduction

Carried out in a quadruplet pregnancy.

First fetus - injected amniotic fluid 5 ml intra-thoracically, but as it failed, injected 2 ml KCL intra-thoracically. It's important to verify that heart stopped for sometime, and then withdraw the needle.

Second fetus, repeated the injection of amniotic fluid, and it acted to cause a temponade on the heart, and stop it. amniotic fluid may be useful in mono-amniotic twins, in which continuation of pregnancy is very risky to both fetuses, and reduction carries risk too, due to intense vascular anastamoses.

Day Care Delivery

An Invitation Article by -
       Dr Shruti Malvi, 

        Director

        KBPN Malvi Hospital

        Hoshangabad [M.P.]

Let’s Redefine Labour, with “Day-Care-Delivery” [DCD].

Advances in Medical Science all over the Globe, aim at Predictable Planned and Personally tailored Management Protocol that is least Invasive, Cost-effective and Simple…

We have succeeded too, mostly everywhere, except probably, Obstetrics, which still remains a completely unpredictable entity, bringing on helplessness in the obstetricians.

Its comparatively, the most unnoticed, unpredictable, and neglected process.

Well...maybe not anymore…

In an effort to combat this problem, we, at our hospital, started a Closely Monitored Labor management protocol which we named –The Day-Care Delivery Protocol [DCD Protocol], with subsequently Favorable Outcomes, without waiting for the Complications to actually set in.

The Concept of DCD-

Day-Care-Delivery can be defined as a planned activation and augmentation of labour at 38+ wks gestation, managed with the intention of vaginal delivery before nightfall.

It can result in a safe and predictable Feto-maternal Outcome in a manner which is very personal to the patient

The Latent Phase of Labor may extend to long and unpredictable lengths, and the active pains may start at any time which again is unpredictable and may pose problems.

Here with the DCD Protocol we aim at cutting short the latent phase ,pushing the parturient forward to enter the Active Phase, which also relieves the unnecessary stress and tension in the patient and outcome is better.

It is well known that a soft and favourable cervix becomes responsive and thereby facilitates the momentum of the ongoing labor progress

Our efforts are targeted at this Latent Phase to trigger the more predictable Active Phase in a planned way. Once achieved, the active phase will take its own natural course.

The DCD Protocol-

The dcd protocol is a comprehensive process which involves adequate counseling and informed consent with application of a dcd criteria prior to admission.

This is followed by activation of labor under close monitoring with assessment of outcomes and routine follow-up.

Patient selection begins during the 1^st antenatal visit provided she’s a healthy ANC

Inclusion depends on her willingness after DCD counseling.

• gestational age of >/= 38 wks,
• uncomplicated pregnancy,
• clinically adequate pelvis,
• suitable usg findings,
• suitability/qualifying for trial of labour,
• informed consent form the check list prior to DCD.

After admission, the active phase is triggered once the dcd criteria are fulfilled. This is the final check…

Which includes,

• DCD Trigger criteria
• Regular FHS,
• Irritable uterus,
• Cephalic presentation
• Intact membranes
• Hd at brim
• Bishop’s 4-5

Once the trigger point is confirmed, Labour is activated with

Intracervical dinoprostone instillation under close monitoring

Oxytocin drip commenced as indicated.

ARM done at a 3 cm dilated >50% effaced soft cx.

Augmentation continued aided by Drotaverine and epidosin injections an hr apart.

All being well pt is expected to deliver by late evening

So, what are the benefits of the Day Care Delivery Option as opposed to the conventional vaginal deliveries?

*From the pt’s perspective,

-its s a planned admission

-less transportation problems

-family support available .

*From the hospital perspective,

-senior medical and nursing staff will be available when the patient arrives.

Hence the emphasis changes from Masterly Inactivity and watchful expectancy to Masterly Activity and watchful expectancy.

Such mode of delivery is cost-effective and helps the women, resume their duties faster both in personal and professional fronts. These modalities make both the Rural as well as Urban clientele more receptive to the idea.

Advantages of Day care are always there, everything is planned and help is available, for instance, the Neonatologist, Anaesthetist, Blood, Pathological Investigations etc are at hand, compared to that in the middle of the night,

So the bottom line is, DCD may prove to be a suitable option for the patient and her obstetrician ensuring quality labour and Optimal perinatal outcome in the present day, helping the Pleasant Births of both a Cute Baby and Its Mommy.

Screening for chromosomal defects- Why should we do screening? - Patient Education

Guest article by Dr Lakshmi Kiran, who is a fetal medicine expert in Hyderabad. You can contact her at : drlkiran@yahoo.com

Chromosomal abnormalities are one of the major causes for perinatal death and mental handicap in children. The only definitive way to diagnose is by invasive testing (ie, CVS/Amniocentesis). These tests are associated with

a risk of miscarriage of about 1% and therefore these tests are carried out only in pregnancies considered to be at high-risk for chromosomal defects.

So, there are various methods designed to identify the high risk population. These tests are the screening tests which, even though do not give a definitive diagnosis, will give the patient specific risk score, which determines whether the woman is screen positive or screen negative.

Who should be screened?

Every woman has a risk that her fetus/baby has a chromosomal defect. The risk for many of the chromosomal defects increases with maternal age. So, every pregnant woman is entitled to screening.

Pre-screening probability

The risk of Down's syndrome varies with maternal age:

• 1:1,500 at 20 years
• 1:800 at 30 years
• 1:270 at 35 years
• 1:100 at 40 years
• >1:50 at 45 years and over1

The risk also increases after a previously affected pregnancy:

• With regular trisomy 21, the recurrence risk is 0.75% more than the maternal age related risk.
• Following trisomy due to a translocation, the recurrence risk is dependent on the type of translocation and which partner carries the translocation.

The challenge of an antenatal screening programme is to identify women in whom a risk of Down's syndrome is sufficiently high to justify such an invasive test and to minimise the risk of miscarrying a healthy baby.

So, various methods are designed to increase the detection rate with as less false positive rate as possible.

Screening Tests :

There are two methods of screening : Serum screening and ultrasound screening. The methods also vary based on the age of pregnancy.

First trimester: The serum screen measures free beta-hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) and Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) between 10 to 13+6 weeks.

The NT (Nuchal translucency) scan between 11 – 13+6weeks.

In this scan, on ultrasound, mainly the thickness of the nape of fetal neck, presence of nasal bone are assessed.Various other parameters like the fetal heart rate, blood flow across tricuspid valve and ductus venosus are also checked.

Both together is called the “combined screening” ,which has 90% detection rate.

Second Trimester: Quadruple test: If a woman books later in pregnancy (when NT scan is not possible) the quadruple test can be taken between 15 to 20 + 0 weeks of gestation. This measures free beta-hCG, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), inhibin-A and unconjugated estriol (uE3) . It is less accurate than the combined test.

Second Trimester Ultrasound(Anomaly scan +Genetic Sonogram):

In this scan we not only look for major structural defects in the baby, which is mandatory in every pregnancy, but also look for certain soft markers which suggest the increased likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities.

The first and second trimester tests could all be done and interpreted together and that is called “Integrated test”

The risk assessment should be done individually for every woman after taking into consideration, the various factors like maternal weight, ethnic group, assisted conception, whether previous pregnancy was affected, bleeding in pregnancy, Insulin dependent diabetes, smoking, gestational age of the pregnancy, singleton or multiple pregnancy. The patient specific risk is arrived at by considering all above parameters and the screening tests.

• The integrated test offers the most effective and safe method of screening for women who attend in the first trimester.
• The quadruple test is the best test for women who first present in the second trimester.

The parents are counselled in detail about this in detail based on which they can make a decision whether they would want to opt for a diagnostic test or not.

Women found to be carrying a baby with Down's syndrome will be offered expert counselling and support, they may be offered a termination of pregnancy or they may choose to continue with the affected pregnancy with support.

Screening for Down's syndrome in multiple pregnancy:

Around 2% of pregnancies affected by Down's syndrome are twins. The screening is mainly by NT scan. Combined screening may be beneficial. The risk assessment and interpretation and management depends on whether the twins are dichorionic or monochorionic.

For further information, i suggest visiting the websites:

www.fetalmedicine.com and www.patient.co.uk.