Medical and Obstetric Complications among Pregnant Women Aged 45 and Older

Objective

The number of women aged 45 and older who become pregnant is increasing. The objective of this study was to estimate the risk of medical and obstetric complications among women aged 45 and older.

Methods

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify pregnant woman during admission for delivery. Deliveries were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9-CM) codes. Using ICD-9-CM codes, pre-existing medical conditions and medical and obstetric complications were identified in women at the time of delivery and were compared for women aged 45 years and older to women under age 35. Outcomes among women aged 35–44 were also compared to women under age 35 to determine if women in this group demonstrated intermediate risk between the older and younger groups. Logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for pre-existing medical conditions and medical and obstetric complications for both older groups relative to women under 35. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were also developed for outcomes at delivery among older women, while controlling for pre-existing medical conditions, multiple gestation, and insurance status, to determine the effect of age on the studied outcomes.

Results

Women aged 45 and older had higher adjusted odds for death, transfusion, myocardial infarction/ischemia, cardiac arrest, acute heart failure, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, acute renal failure, cesarean delivery, gestational diabetes, fetal demise, fetal chromosomal anomaly, and placenta previa compared to women under 35.

Conclusion

Pregnant women aged 45 and older experience significantly more medical and obstetric complications and are more likely to die at the time of a delivery than women under age 35, though the absolute risks are low and these events are rare. Further research is needed to determine what associated factors among pregnant women aged 45 and older may contribute to these findings.     

Dysbacteriosis and immunopathological process

The poststress translocation of intestinal microflora to the internal environment of the body is proposed to be regarded as the mechanism of neuroimmune cooperation in the realization of adaptative raction. It is pointed out that the effectiveness of the adaptive process depends on the state of microbiocenosis as a mediating factor. The inclusion of remedies for the correction of intestinal microbiocenosis into the complex therapy of patients with chronic pathology (as a specific manifestation of dysadaptive state) makes it possible to achieve results which cannot be achieved by the standard approach. We should return to the initial interpretation of I.I.Mechnikov's thesis on the basic role of dysbacteriosis in the development of the pathological process.     

Dysbacteriosis and preparations with probiotic function

Information on intestinal microecological disturbances (dysbacteriosis) and the preparations of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics used for the correction of resident normal colon microflora is presented. Probiotics are preparations containing live microbes or substances of microbial origin that, when introduced by natural methods are expected to confer beneficial physiologic, biochemical and immune effects to the host through the stabilization and the optimization of functions of normal microflora. Prebiotics are preparations containing a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and the activity of a limited number of resident bacteria of normal microflora in the colon. Synbiotics are preparations obtained as the result of the rational combination of probiotics and prebiotics.     

HIV and the Risk of Direct Obstetric Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Women of reproductive age in parts of sub-Saharan Africa are faced both with high levels of HIV and the threat of dying from the direct complications of pregnancy. Clinicians practicing in such settings have reported a high incidence of direct obstetric complications among HIV-infected women, but the evidence supporting this is unclear. The aim of this systematic review is to establish whether HIV-infected women are at increased risk of direct obstetric complications.

Methods and findings

Studies comparing the frequency of obstetric haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, dystocia and intrauterine infections in HIV-infected and uninfected women were identified. Summary estimates of the odds ratio (OR) for the association between HIV and each obstetric complication were calculated through meta-analyses. In total, 44 studies were included providing 66 data sets; 17 on haemorrhage, 19 on hypertensive disorders, five on dystocia and 25 on intrauterine infections. Meta-analysis of the OR from studies including vaginal deliveries indicated that HIV-infected women had over three times the risk of a puerperal sepsis compared with HIV-uninfected women [pooled OR: 3.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.00–5.85]; this figure increased to nearly six amongst studies only including women who delivered by caesarean (pooled OR: 5.81, 95% CI: 2.42–13.97). For other obstetric complications the evidence was weak and inconsistent.

Conclusions

The higher risk of intrauterine infections in HIV-infected pregnant and postpartum women may require targeted strategies involving the prophylactic use of antibiotics during labour. However, as the huge excess of pregnancy-related mortality in HIV-infected women is unlikely to be due to a higher risk of direct obstetric complications, reducing this mortality will require non obstetric interventions involving access to ART in both pregnant and non-pregnant women.     

微波治疗妇产科腹部切口脂肪液化病人81例的效果分析

目的分析评价微波治疗妇产科腹部手术后切口脂肪液化的临床应用价值。方法将162例病人随机分成观察组与对照组各81例,前者进行微波治疗;后者采用传统治疗,比较分析两组病人的治疗所需时间、伤口愈合时间以及临床治疗的总有效率。结果两组之间比较差异显著（P均〈0．05）,具有统计学意义。结论采用微波治疗能明显缩短治疗时间,促进病人的伤口愈合,值得在临床上广泛推广并应用。     

Vaginal versus Obstetric Infection Escherichia coli Isolates among Pregnant Women: Antimicrobial Resistance and Genetic Virulence Profile

Vaginal Escherichia coli colonization is related to obstetric infections and the consequent development of infections in newborns. Ampicillin resistance among E. coli strains is increasing, which is the main choice for treating empirically many obstetric and neonatal infections. Vaginal E. coli strains are very similar to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli with regards to the virulence factors and the belonging to phylogroup B2. We studied the antimicrobial resistance and the genetic virulence profile of 82 E. coli isolates from 638 vaginal samples and 63 isolated from endometrial aspirate, placental and amniotic fluid samples from pregnant women with obstetric infections. The prevalence of E. coli in the vaginal samples was 13%, which was significant among women with associated risk factors during pregnancy, especially premature preterm rupture of membranes (p<0.0001). Sixty-five percent of the strains were ampicillin-resistant. The E. coli isolates causing obstetric infections showed higher resistance levels than vaginal isolates, particularly for gentamicin (p = 0.001). The most prevalent virulence factor genes were those related to the iron uptake systems revealing clear targets for interventions. More than 50% of the isolates belonged to the virulent B2 group possessing the highest number of virulence factor genes. The ampicillin-resistant isolates had high number of virulence factors primarily related to pathogenicity islands, and the remarkable gentamicin resistance in E. coli isolates from women presenting obstetric infections, the choice of the most appropriate empiric treatment and clinical management of pregnant women and neonates should be carefully made. Taking into account host-susceptibility, the heterogeneity of E. coli due to evolution over time and the geographical area, characterization of E. coli isolates colonizing the vagina and causing obstetric infections in different regions may help to develop interventions and avoid the aetiological link between maternal carriage and obstetric and subsequent puerperal infections.     

超声在围绝经期妇科疾病诊断中的作用研究

目的:探讨超声在围绝经期妇科疾病诊断中的作用,为临床诊断提供依据.方法:选取2012年2月至2012年8月间于我院接受诊断和治疗的处于围绝经期的阴道不规则出血患者128例,观察超声诊断与病理学诊断的差异,分析超声诊断的作用.结果:超声诊断与病理学检查结果的总符合率为95.31％,内膜良性病变类型与内膜癌和癌前病变类型的平均内膜厚度均明显高于内膜生理变化类型(P＜0.05),子宫内膜厚度≥10mm的发生内膜良性病变或内膜癌及癌前病变的64例(66.67％),厚度＜10 mm的患者发生内膜良性病变或内膜癌及癌前病变10例(31.25％),差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论:超声在围绝经期妇科疾病诊断中的作用显著,值得在临床上推广应用.     

The Long Term Economic Impact of Severe Obstetric Complications for Women and Their Children in Burkina Faso

This study investigates the long term economic impact of severe obstetric complications for women and their children in Burkina Faso, focusing on measures of food security, expenditures and related quality of life measures. It uses a hospital based cohort, first visited in 2004/2005 and followed up four years later. This cohort of 1014 women consisted of two main groups of comparison: 677 women who had an uncomplicated delivery and 337 women who experienced a severe obstetric complication which would have almost certainly caused death had they not received hospital care (labelled a “near miss” event). To analyze the impact of such near miss events as well as the possible interaction with the pregnancy outcome, we compared household and individual level indicators between women without a near miss event and women with a near miss event who either had a live birth, a perinatal death or an early pregnancy loss. We used propensity score matching to remove initial selection bias. Although we found limited effects for the whole group of near miss women, the results indicated negative impacts: a) for near miss women with a live birth, on child development and education, on relatively expensive food consumption and on women’s quality of life; b) for near miss women with perinatal death, on relatively expensive foods consumption and children’s education and c) for near miss women who had an early pregnancy loss, on overall food security. Our results showed that severe obstetric complications have long lasting consequences for different groups of women and their children and highlighted the need for carefully targeted interventions.     

Changes in Toxicity and Mobility Resulting from Bioremediation Processes

Bioremediation is a commonly used process for the remediation of soils and sludges containing hydrocarbon compounds. The extent of chemical concentration reduction that occurs in bioremediation processes and the concentration of residual chemicals varies widely for different soils and sludges and for different processes. Along with changes in chemical concentration, measures of toxicity and chemical mobility are important information as site remediation decisions are increasingly being made within a risk-based corrective action framework.

This review article presents illustrative data from studies that evaluated the effectiveness of bioremediation processes and that contained information about changes in chemical mobility and soil or sludge toxicity. The weight-of-evidence data presented indicated that, as part of the bioremediation process, there is a reduction of the apparent toxicity of the soils and sludges that were treated. In addition, remaining chemical constituents generally were less mobile. The patterns were consistent for both laboratory and field-scale bioremediation studies.     

Permeases Recycle Amino Acids Resulting from Autophagy

Autophagy is a major survival mechanism for eukaryotes to recycle cellular nutrients during stress conditions (such as nutrient limitation, or the accumulation of damaged organelles). We recently revealed a molecular mechanism by which Atg22 recycles amino acids to link the degradative and recycling functions of autophagy. Atg22 is not directly required for autophagic body breakdown, in contrast to previously reported data. Instead, we found that Atg22, Avt3 and Avt4 are partially redundant vacuolar effluxers, which mediate the efflux of leucine and other amino acids resulting from autophagy.

Addendum to:

Atg22 Recycles Amino Acids to Link the Degradative and Recycling Functions of Autophagy

Zhifen Yang, Ju Huang, Jiefei Geng, Usha Nair and Daniel J. Klionsky

Mol Biol Cell 2006; Oct. 4