Clostridium perfringens Sepsis and Fetal Demise after Genetic Amniocentesis

Clostridium perfringens is a rare cause of intrauterine infection. There have been five case reports concerning infection associated with invasive procedures. We report a woman who underwent a genetic amniocentesis due to her history of chronic granulomatous disease. She presented to the hospital ~38 hours after the amniocentesis complaining of fever and chills. Due to acute decompensation, she underwent an emergent dilatation and evacuation. During her stay, blood cultures came back positive for C. perfringens. Gradual improvement with intensive monitoring led to hospital discharge 4 days after the procedure. Uterine infection due to C. perfringens leading to maternal sepsis is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Our patient was able to survive without a hysterectomy due to the rapid administration of antibiotics and surgical intervention while being evaluated

Factors that shape pregnant women's perceptions regarding the safety of cannabis use during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use among pregnant women has increased. We surveyed pregnant women in rural Pennsylvania to examine cannabis use and opinions regarding its safety during pregnancy. We examined associations between challenges of pregnancy (e.g., exhaustion, pain, nausea) and cannabis use. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of English-speaking pregnant women receiving prenatal care at Geisinger, May-June 2019. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to construct three scores (overwhelmed/exhausted, happy/optimistic, and health worries) based on 10 questions regarding common experiences during pregnancy (e.g., nausea/vomiting, pain, exhaustion, mood). A score based on four questions regarding cannabis safety during pregnancy was also constructed. RESULTS: From a maximum of 300 surveys distributed, 284 were completed (95%). Most participants were white (87%), married (49%) or living with a partner (38%), and had private health insurance (62%). Most women indicated it was unsafe to use alcohol and tobacco products during pregnancy (> 90%), but that proportion dropped to 82% and 63% regarding recreational cannabis and medical cannabis, respectively. Only women with prior cannabis use (23% of sample) continued to do so during pregnancy: 57% of women reporting daily cannabis use prior to pregnancy continued to use cannabis during pregnancy with 33% reporting daily use. Two thirds of users during pregnancy indicated they were self-medicating for: nausea (90%), anxiety (70%), insomnia (30%), and pain management (30%). Many (56%) of the women who used cannabis during pregnancy believed it is safe. Younger women and women who were overwhelmed/exhausted or less happy/optimistic were more likely to believe cannabis use is safe. Women valued healthcare provider advice more than advice from family and friends. Study strengths include a high response rate. Weaknesses include self-report and that is was a convenience sample; however, the demographics of the sample were similar to past studies. CONCLUSION: Women with a history of cannabis use, especially daily use, are at risk of continuing during pregnancy and should receive counseling. Younger women and women with greater stressors during pregnancy also are at greater risk. Screening for prior use and for stressors may identify patients that would benefit from enhanced counseling

Foley Plus Oxytocin Compared With Oxytocin for Induction After Membrane Rupture: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of a transcervical Foley catheter plus oxytocin infusion compared with oxytocin infusion alone for labor induction and cervical ripening in women 34 weeks of gestation or greater with prelabor rupture of membranes. METHODS: This is a randomized, multicenter trial of women with a live, singleton gestation at 34 weeks of gestation or greater with prelabor rupture of membranes, an unfavorable cervical examination (less than 2 cm or 80% effaced), and no contraindication to labor. Participants were randomly allocated to a transcervical Foley catheter inflated to 30 cc with concurrent oxytocin infusion or oxytocin infusion alone. Oxytocin administration was standardized across sites. The primary study outcome was interval from induction to delivery. To detect a 2.5-hour difference in the interval from induction to delivery, we required outcome data on 194 women, assuming 80% power and a two-tailed α of 5%. Analysis was by intent to treat. RESULTS: We enrolled 201 women: 93 were allocated to Foley and 108 to oxytocin. Demographics were similar between the groups. Time to delivery was not significantly different between groups: in the Foley group, it was 13.9 hours (±6.9 SD) compared with 14.4 hours (±7.9 SD) in the oxytocin group (P=.69). There were more cases of clinical chorioamnionitis (8% compared with 0%, P CONCLUSION: In patients with prelabor rupture of membranes, the use of a transcervical Foley catheter in addition to oxytocin does not shorten the time to delivery compared with oxytocin alone, but may increase the incidence of intraamniotic infection. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01973036