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Introduction: Preterm labor is the leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity. Therefore, to rule-in and rule-out preterm delivery is a very important issue in our clinical practice., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1) molecule positivity in cervicovaginal secretions of women who have a CL <25 mm and presenting with preterm labor symptoms to predict spontaneous preterm birth within seven days., Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted in Ankara University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology between August 2017 and February 2019 on the patients who had Preterm labor symptoms, <25 mm transvaginal cervical length (CL), clinically intact membranes. The primary outcome of the study was the power of CL and PAMG-1 positivity on the prediction of preterm birth in seven days., Results: Sensitivity and specificity values of PAMG-1 in our study population to predict spontaneous preterm birth in seven days were calculated 52.94% and 98.84%, respectively, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated 91.4% and 90%, respectively. When we investigated our data according to different CL cutoffs, sensitivity and NPV for 20 mm cutoff were 88.24% and 96.3% that was better than PAMG-1, but specificity and PPV were 60.47% and 30.61%, respectively, that was more ineffective than PAMG-1. If we calculate the values according to 15 mm and 10 mm CL cutoffs sensitivity values were 58.8% and 23.53%, specificity values were 81.4% and 91.86%, NPV were 90.9% and 85.87%, PPV were 38.46% and 36.36%, respectively. Finally, accuracy value of PAMG-1 to predict spontaneous preterm birth in seven days was 91.26% that was better than other CL cutoffs (20 mm, 15 mm, and 10 mm)., Conclusion: PAMG-1 molecule with high NPV and PPV (91.4% and 90%) combination will contribute our clinical decision on the population who had preterm labor symptoms and a CL shorter than 25 mm.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of carbetocin for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and related events after vaginal or cesarean delivery., Methods: Medline, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched in February 2018 using combinations of the relevant MeSH terms, keywords. Randomized studies, comparing carbetocin to any other uterotonic agent, in the management of cesarean and vaginal deliveries, were conducted. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. A random-effects meta-analysis was used for quantitative synthesis. Also, Bayesian random-effect metaregression was used to estimate the posterior probabilities (PP) for benefits of carbetocin use., Results: After the full-text review, 30 trials were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to oxytocin, carbetocin was associated with a reduced need for additional uterotonic use in women undergoing cesarean delivery (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.30-0.59, I 2  = 71%, 3216 women, PP > 99.9%). Women at high risk of PPH delivering vaginally also had a reduced need for additional uterotonic use with carbetocin compared to oxytocin (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34-0.94, I 2  = 38%, 789 women, PP = 81.2%). The risk of postpartum blood transfusion (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.96, I 2  = 0%, 1991 women, PP = 97.9%) was also less with carbetocin compared to oxytocin in high-risk women undergoing cesarean delivery. The risk of PPH was similar between carbetocin and other uterotonic agents for both cesarean (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.45-1.05, I 2  = 27%, 2926 women, PP = 96.3%) and vaginal deliveries (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.32-1.14, I 2  = 35%, 1515 women, PP = 88.9%)., Conclusions: Carbetocin is effective in reducing the need for additional uterotonic use and postpartum blood transfusion in women at increased risk of PPH undergoing cesarean delivery. There is still a need for high-quality trials on its effectiveness in preventing PPH in high-risk women.PrecisCarbetocin is effective in reducing the need for additional uterotonic use and postpartum blood transfusion in high-risk women undergoing Cesarean delivery.

Objective: To assess whether assessment with ultrasound could improve the detection of emergency cesarean section (ECS) in laboring women., Methods: Women who presented with symptoms of active labor or women in need of labor induction were invited to participate in the study. Women included in the study were evaluated with ultrasonography for fetal biometry and vaginal examinations for Bishop score assessment. The main aim in this study was determining factors associated with ECS due to fetal distress and obstructed labor., Results: No fetal biometry variable was associated with ECS due to any indication (fetal distress and obstructed labor combined) in the univariate analysis. In multivariate analyses, biometry variables were adjusted for Bishop score at admission and only abdominal circumference percentile showed a significant association with the odds of ECS due to any indication (OR:1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03). Biparietal diameter and abdominal circumference variables were associated with the odds of ECS due to obstructed labor in both univariate and multivariate analyses ( p  < .05 for all). However, the predictive accuracy of biparietal diameter percentile (area under the curve (AUC): 0.55, 95% CI: 0.46-0.63) and abdominal circumference percentile (AUC: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.48-0.64) without adjunct variables were poor. Moreover, the addition of fetal biometry parameters to Bishop score did not improve the predictive accuracy of Bishop score., Conclusion: Ultrasound assessment at admission, in addition to Bishop score assessment, did not significantly improve the prediction of ECS. Also, the fetal biometry alone had poor predictive capability for ECS. Routine ultrasound assessment at labor admission appears to be ineffective for predicting ECS.PrecisFetal biparietal diameter and abdominal circumference showed an association with emergency cesarean due to obstructed labor but the predictive accuracy of fetal biometry was low. Routine ultrasound examination at admission, in addition to Bishop score assessment, may not useful for assessing the risk of emergency section in unselected populations.

Objectives: Small-for-gestational-age fetuses (SGA) are at high risk of intrapartum fetal compromise requiring operative delivery. In a recent study, we developed a model using a combination of three antenatal (gestational age at delivery, parity, cerebroplacental ratio) and three intrapartum (epidural use, labor induction and augmentation using oxytocin) variables for the prediction of operative delivery due to presumed fetal compromise in SGA fetuses - the Individual RIsk aSsessment (IRIS) prediction model. The aim of this study was to test the predictive accuracy of the IRIS prediction model in an external cohort of singleton pregnancies complicated by SGA. Methods: This was an external validation study using a cohort of pregnancies from two tertiary referral centers in Spain and England. The inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancies diagnosed with an SGA fetus, defined as estimated fetal weight (EFW) below the 10th centile for gestational age at 36 weeks or beyond, which had fetal Doppler assessment and available data on their intrapartum care and pregnancy outcomes. The main outcome in this study was the operative delivery for presumed fetal compromise. External validation was performed using the coefficients obtained in the original development cohort. The predictive accuracies of models were investigated with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to test the goodness-of-fit of models and calibration plots were also obtained for visual assessment. A mobile application using the combined model algorithm was developed to facilitate clinical use. Results: Four hundred twelve singleton pregnancies with an antenatal diagnosis of SGA were included in the study. The operative delivery rate was 22.8% ( n  = 94). The group which required operative delivery for presumed fetal compromise had significantly fewer multiparous women (19.1 versus 47.8%, p  < .001 in the total study population; 19.0 versus 43.5 and 19.2 versus 49.6%, UK and Spain cohort, respectively), lower cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) multiples of median (MoM) (median: 0.77 versus 0.92, p  < .001 in the total study population; 0.77 versus 0.92 and 0.77 versus 0.92, UK and Spain cohort, respectively), more inductions of labor (74.5 versus 60.1%, p  = .010 in the total study population; 85.7 versus 77.2 and 71.2% and 53.1, UK and Spain cohort, respectively) and more use of oxytocin augmentation (57.4 versus 39.3%, p  = .002 in the total study population; 19.0 versus 12.0 and 68.5 and 50.4%, UK and Spain cohort, respectively) compared to those who did not require operative delivery due to presumed fetal compromise. When the original antenatal model was applied to the present cohort, we observed moderate predictive accuracy (AUC: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64-0.76), and no signs of poor fit ( p  = .464). The original combined model, when applied to the external cohort, had moderate predictive accuracy (AUC: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.67-0.77) and also no signs of poor fit ( p  = .268) without the need for refitting. A statistically significant increase in the predictive accuracy was not achieved via refitting of the combined model (AUC 0.76 versus 0.72, p  = .060). Conclusions: Using our recently published model, the predictive accuracy for fetal compromise requiring operative delivery in term fetuses thought to be SGA was modest and showed no signs of poor fit in an external cohort. The IRIS tool for mobile devices has been developed to facilitate wide clinical use of this prediction model. Brief rationale Objective : To determine the external validity of an intrapartum risk prediction model for suspected small-for-gestational age fetuses.What is already known: Small-for-gestational age fetuses are at increased risk of intrapartum compromise. Fetal weight alone is a poor marker for adverse outcomes and a comprehensive prediction model has been previously suggested.What this study adds: Multivariable prediction model showed good accuracy and calibration in this external validation study. The significance of some variables was different between the original and external validation cohort and there was a small margin for improvement with model refitting. A mobile application has been developed to facilitate clinical use.

Objective: Small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses are at increased risk of admission to the neonatal unit, even at term. We aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for the risk of prolonged neonatal unit admission in suspected SGA fetuses at term., Methods: A single-center cohort study of singleton pregnancies with SGA fetus, defined as estimated fetal weight (EFW) less than the 10th centile, at term. The variables included known risk factors for neonatal unit admissions: maternal characteristics, EFW, abdominal circumference (AC), fetal Dopplers, gestational age (GA) at delivery, and intrapartum risk factors (meconium, pyrexia). Logistic regression analysis was used for model building and the prediction models were validated internally using bootstrapping., Results: Seven hundred and one SGA pregnancies at term were included; 5.9% had prolonged neonatal unit admission (>48 h). The multivariable model (AUC 0.71; 95% CI: 0.63-0.79) included GA at delivery <39 weeks (OR 2.76; 95% CI 1.23-6.04, p = .011), cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) multiples of median (MoM) (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.05-0.79, p = .023), and EFW below the third centile (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.26-4.68, p < .007). The combined model showed a sensitivity 30.9% (95% CI: 16.6-45.2%) for a fixed 10% false positive rate., Conclusion: The prediction model shows good accuracy and good calibration for assessing the risk of neonatal unit admission in suspected SGA fetuses. It has the potential to be used for patient counseling, determining the timing of delivery and the individual risk. Brief rationale Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the factors associated with prolonged neonatal unit admissions in small for gestational age fetuses at term. What is already known: Fetal weight and Doppler parameters are associated with adverse outcome in small for gestational age fetuses. However, most studies use composite outcome criteria by combining neonatal unit admission with adverse delivery outcomes. A comprehensive model combining antenatal and intrapartum variables is also lacking., What This Study Adds: Our model describes the association of antenatal and intrapartum variables with prolonged neonatal unit admission without using a composite adverse outcome measure. Estimated fetal weight, gestational age at delivery, and the cerebroplacental ratio can be used to estimate the risk of prolonged neonatal unit admission. The risk estimation can be useful for patient counseling and to determine the time of delivery.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of transperineal ultrasound assessment compared to speculum examination by using placental alfa-microglobulin (PAMG)-1 tests as reference., Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted in Ankara University Hospital. Women with early and late preterm pregnancies with suspected rupture of membranes, i.e. women with a complaint of fluid leakage (105 in total) were enrolled. Prior to speculum examination, sagittal and transverse plane views of the fornices and cervix were obtained via transperineal ultrasonography and images were stored. Then the speculum examination for amniotic fluid pooling was performed. Definite diagnoses were made with PAGM-1 assays. After collection of the data, ultrasound images were analyzed by an observer blind to physical examination findings. Hypoechogenic fluid appearance around the cervix and in the fornices was considered positive for preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). Results of physical and ultrasound examination were compared with PAMG-1 test as a reference method. The diagnostic performance of transperineal ultrasound was tested with accuracy parameters and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Inter-rater reliability was analyzed with Cohen's kappa., Results: In total, 103 pregnant women were evaluated. The prevalence of PPROM in our study population was 43.14%. At a 5 mm diagnostic threshold, the sensitivity and specificity values of transperineal assessment were 95.45% (95% CI: 84.50-99.31%) and 96.55% (95% CI: 88.07-99.48%), respectively, and they were comparable with speculum examination in a population of preterm pregnant women with suspected PPROM (p > 0.05). Interobserver reliability analysis with Cohen's kappa has shown good very good agreement with the kappa value of 0.93 (95% CI 0.87-1.00)., Conclusions: Transperineal ultrasonography is a novel method that can be used to assess vaginal pooling of amniotic fluid. Ultrasonography offers similar sensitivity and specificity compared with speculum examination and it is non-invasive.