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Though technology plays an increasingly important role in modern health systems, human performance remains a major determinant of safety, effectiveness and efficiency of patient care. This is especially true in the delivery room. Thus, the training of professionals must aim not only for the acquisition of theory and practical skills on an individual basis, but also for the learning of teamwork systematically. Training health professionals with simulation enhances their theoretical knowledge and meets formal requirements in literacy, technical skills and communication. Therefore, we intend to explore how, in perinatal care, training with simulation is actually a key teaching tool in initial education and in perpetuation of knowledge. We will approach three main aspects: individual, collective (team) and the impact of simulation in medical practice. The choice of this educational strategy improves the clinical skills that are required for optimal performance in complex, unpredictable and high-stake environments such as the delivery room. Nonetheless, the long term clinical impact of simulation and whether it's modalities, technical or not, are beneficial to the mother and the newborn are areas still to be explored., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Simulation in obstetrical emergency is in expansion. The important economic and human cost in simulation needs a real evaluation about enhancement in technical and non-technical skills, maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. We present a literature review of the results published on the subject in shoulder dystocia, post-partum haemorrhage, eclampsia and cord prolaps with a selection of publications with high evidence level or positive impact of training on obstetrical emergencies. There are few publications with a positive impact of training on obstetrical emergencies. Some publications from 10years by the same obstetrical team for training and shoulder dystocia reveal a 75% reduction in brachial plexus injury after 4years of training, and 100% reduction in permanent injury after a decade of training. Only one publication is in accordance with a reduction of severe post-partum haemorrhage with training. For all obstetrical emergencies, crew resource management (communication, self-confidence…) and team training are improved., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: In Madagascar, where more than half of women give birth without skilled attendants, quality improvement of health services may ameliorate community perception of facility-based delivery care, thereby increasing the skilled birth attendance rate. For women who do deliver in a facility, a higher quality of services will lead to better outcomes, moving the country closer to reaching Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. To guide the quality improvement processes at health facilities in Madagascar, this study assessed the quality of care at facilities with respect to interventions addressing the main causes of maternal and newborn complications with a focus on postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and pre-eclampia/eclampsia (PE/E)., Methods: The study targeted all health facilities with a high volume of deliveries through inventories of medications and material, interviews with health providers, and observations of routine care and complicated cases. A total of 36 health facilities were included in the study, and interviews were carried out with 139 providers. Observations were made of 323 antenatal consultations and 347 labor and delivery clients, including 255 observations of the first stage of labor and 288 at the second or third stages., Results: The main challenges to providing high-quality services as revealed by the inventory are the low availability of clinical protocols and guidelines for providers, and syringes, needles, and IV infusion sets to give uterotonics. Also, communication equipment and emergency transport were available in half of facilities, and a safe water source within 500 meters was available in only 67%. Regarding provider knowledge as measured by the interviews, the strongest areas of knowledge were detection of lacerations and conducting a physical examination; the weakest were on management of uterine atony or of retained placenta, stabilizing the mother with magnesium sulphate and anti-hypertensives, initial steps in management of severe PE, management of convulsions, and essential equipment and supplies needed. Technical support or supervision of providers was often nonexistent or inadequate. Some aspects of the observed care were of moderately high quality, such as infection prevention and provision of prophylactic oxytocin. However, compliance with all elements of the active management of the third stage of labor (i.e., oxytocin within one minute of delivery, controlled cord traction, and uterine massage after delivery of the placenta) occurred in only 13% of observed deliveries. In only 48% of observed antenatal care consultations was blood pressure measured using correct technique, and in only 29% did the provider perform or refer the pregnant woman for proteinuria screening. During cases of postpartum hemorrhage management, manual removal of placenta (MRP) was attempted in five cases but in none was it carried out according to the guidelines. In several cases of severe pre-eclampsia and one case of eclampsia, magnesium sulphate, the drug of choice, was not given., Discussion: Overall, quality improvement is urgently needed to provide prophylactic oxytocin to all women within one minute of delivery, and to supply magnesium sulphate to all maternities for treatment of severe PE/E, among other interventions. To build on existing favorable policies to improve maternal and newborn health care in Madagascar, quality improvement efforts should target provider and facility readiness. In addition, national guidelines and protocols need to be updated and operationalized according to an appropriate national strategy that includes a budgeted action plan, follow-up, and performance-based recognition of providers and facilities. A national strategy is critical to ensure that all partners in the health system support it. An increase in the government's participation in funding for health (more than 12%, per the Abuja recommendation) would facilitate this program. Provider competencies can be maintained through regular practice with low-cost anatomical simulators and through use of regular updates and reminders to providers on clinical protocols via cell phones. In addition, accountability can be promoted by an adequate health management information system that collects data on the main causes of maternal and neonatal deaths, adequate supply at facilities of oxytocin, magnesium sulphate and other lifesaving drugs, and routine presentation of this information in regional and national fora.

Few studies establishing clear criteria for the medical interruption of a pregnancy complicated by PE are available today. Most of these studies are either retrospective or observational. When combining an analysis of the available literature together with the experts' opinions, one can propose the following set of criteria for therapeutic interruption of pregnancy in the setting of PE, which apply mainly for the severe forms of the disease. These criteria can be subdivided into maternal and fetal criteria. Maternal criteria are a severe uncontrollable HT, eclampsia, acute pulmonary edema, retro placental haematoma, oligura (<100 ml in 4 hours) resistant to appropriate fluid expansion, persistent signs of imminent eclampsia (headache or visual disturbances), persistent epigastric pain, HELLP syndrome, new-onset renal failure and a gestation time within the first 24 weeks. The fetal criteria are prolonged and variable fetal heart rate (FHR) decelerations, a short term variability in FHR <3 bpm, a Manning score < or =4 on two separate occasions, severe oligohydramnios, an estimated fetal weight below the 5(th) percentile beyond the 32(nd) week of amenorrhea and an inverted diastolic flow in the umbilical artery beyond the 32(nd) week of amenorrhea. In case of non-severe PE beyond the 36(th) week of amenorrhea, interruption of the pregnancy must be considered., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Eclampsia, the major neurological complication of preeclampsia, is defined as a convulsive episode, or any other sign of an altered consciousness, arising in a setting of preeclampsia, and which cannot be attributed to any other preexisting neurological condition. Convulsive episodes have been described up to 15 days post-partum. Visual disturbances (cortical blindness) are common and must be considered as the equivalent of a convulsive crisis. In case of doubt, the gold standard investigation is the performing of a diffusion weighted MRI. The management of women suffering a convulsive episode is the same as in any other generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Magnesium sulfate as a loading dose followed by a continuous infusion is the most effective way for preventing a relapse associated with blood-pressure normalization. Magnesium sulfate infusion must be maintained for 24 hours following the last convulsive episode., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura failure (TTP) is a micro angiopathy caracterized in its severe form by multivisceral involement and early death. The association with pregnancy is rare, the diagnosis is difficult, but imperative because that will allow an early specific management and will improve the diagnosis, Case: Our patient is a 25 years old woman admitted in intensive care unit after cesarian section for eclampsia at term. Clinical and biological assessement were in favor at Hellp syndrome. Toxemia complicated with eclampsia and Hell syndrome was the final diagnosis and appropriate treatment followed. However the treatment, diffuse purpuric petechia appeared associated with jaundice, thrombocytopenia. The diagnosis of T.T.P was considered and corticotherapy started at day 8. Patient responded within 48 h and healins was complete after 5 weeks., Conclusion: Authors emphasized on the importance of the diagnosis and specific management.

The use of mobile monitoring system for foetal cardiotachometry has never been evaluated in the prehospital care. The aim of the survey was to evaluate the faisability of this device. Twenty-five patients were enrolled, mostly within the context of interhospital transfer because of threatening premature delivery (n = 20). Foetal monitoring was effective for 64 % of the patients during initial physical examination and for 52 % during transport by ambulance. Prehospital treatment was improved in one case of eclampsia after on-scene fetal monitoring. Cardiotocography can be easily performed in the prehospital setting.

Objective: To study the specific management problems of severe eclampsia under tropical latitudes., Study Design: A two years retrospective study in a University hospital in the tropics., Patients and Methods: In all patients admitted for eclampsia between January 1997 et December 1999, the following parameters were studied: age, parity, interval between disease et admission, post-eclampsia Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), time of occurrence of eclampsia during pregnancy, delivery route, blood pressure data at admission, the occurrence of complications at admission or during hospital stay., Results: Twenty-eight mainly primiparous patients (mean age: 26 +/- 6) were admitted with an average delay of 8.5 +/- 10.2 hours after the first symptoms. The time of occurrence was prepartum in 6, perpartum in 14 and postpartum in 8 cases. All patients were hypertensive and comatose with an average GCS of 8 +/- 2.2. Twenty patients had been previously intubated and ventilated. Delivery was natural in 22 and by caesarean section in 6 patients. The following complications were found: acute oliguric renal failure (9), HELLP-syndrome (4), cerebral haemorrhage (4), acute lung oedema (3) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (1). Maternal and child mortality were 35 and 42.8% respectively., Conclusion: Eclampsia is a major cause of both maternal and infantile mortality in developing countries. The authors insist that prevention and management require speedy transfers to adapted specialized obstetrical intensive care structures.

Unlabelled: A one-year (January 1-december 31, 1998) case control study was carried out at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics ward and at the Paediatrics ward of the Lomé-Tokoin Teaching Hospital (Togo). Through following parameters (delivery, sex, pregnancy age at delivery, birth weight, early neonate period issue, moment and number of fits) newborns from 89 mothers with eclampsia were compared to those from 445 pregnant women without high blood pressure admitted during the study period. After every woman with eclampsia (study group) the five following without high blood pressure (control group) were included in the study. Relative risk (95% confidence interval) and chi 2-test (5% significant degree) were calculated in the comparison of some parameters., Results: The perinatal mortality rate was 28.6% (26 out of 91 newborns) in the study group versus 8.8% (44 out of 455) in the control group (relative risk = 2.91; chi 2 = 27.87; p = 0.0001). Birth weight, pregnancy age at delivery and fits number before delivery influenced significantly perinatal mortality rate; meanwhile the lower was the relative risk of eclamptic fits onset, the more frequent were ante-natal visits., Conclusion: The perinatal mortality rate due to eclamptic might be reduced through frequent ante-natal visits, sustained ante- and post-natal care specially adequate management of eclamptic patients and their newborns.

Objective: Evaluation of severe maternal morbidity in peripartum period leading to controlled ventilation in the obstetrical intensive care unit., Study Design: A retrospective study was carried out during a period of three years, from March 1998 to March 2001, in the obstetrical intensive care unit (ICU) of Farhat Hached hospital, Sousse (Tunisia)., Patients and Methods: Twenty obstetric patients requiring controlled ventilation were admitted in the ICU. Obstetric data included maternal age, gestational age, parity, diagnosis of the disease requiring controlled ventilation and maternal outcome., Results: A total of 24812 deliveries occurred during the study period at Farhat Hached maternal center. Twenty patients (0.08 percent) required controlled ventilation for a mean duration of 38 hours (range: five hours- 21 days). The mean age was 30 +3 years. Eight patients were primigravida. The mean gestational age was 33 +2 weeks. Seventeen patients (85 percent) underwent cesarean section. The mean duration in the ICU was six days (range: 5 hours - 34 days). There were six maternal deaths (30 percent). Maternal mortality was attributed to neurologic 40 percent, hemodynamic 30 percent or respiratory 30 percent failure which complicated eclampsia, hemorrhagic shock, pulmonary edema or sepsis., Conclusion: There were 0.08 percent of obstetric patients requiring controlled ventilation. The serious maternal morbidity and the high mortality require better care of obstetric patients.

We carried out a retrospective and prospective study between January 1995 and August 1996, of pregnant women with high blood pressure. The aim of this work was to determine the prevalence of each type of hypertension according to the classification of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and to evaluate the prognosis for the mother and child. The prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy was found to be 7.65%. A family history of hypertension, obesity and a personal history of hypertension in pregnancy were all risk factors. Severe hypertension (diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 110 mm Hg) affected 59.4% of the women. Chronic hypertension occurred in 41.51% of cases, preeclampsia in 26.41% of cases, associated preeclampsia in 18.87% of cases and isolated hypertension in 13.21% of cases. Eclampsia (70.6%) was the principal maternal complication in this study population. Fifty-four of the women gave birth to normal babies, 21 to hypotrophic babies, 15 gave birth prematurely and 3 had miscarriages. Six of the seven deaths involved women with DBP above 110 mm Hg.

Sixty cases of severe eclampsia were treated in an intensive care unit between January 1989 and September 1993. Mean age was 26, and 70% of patients were primipara. The pregnancy has been unsupervised in almost all cases. All had visceral lesions and/or hematologic problems and there was impaired conscious level in 9 cases out of 10. Medical treatment involved the control of seizures and of hypertension. Cesarean section was performed in 34 cases. The maternal death rate was 23.3%. Our experience indicates that mortality depends upon visceral lesions (cerebral, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute pulmonary edema, Hellp syndrome). Better awareness of severity factors in preeclampsia improves both maternal and fetal prognosis by precisely indicating the best time for fetal extraction.

Eclampsia is the most serious manifestation of a toxaemic encephalopathy which may also have nonconvulsive manifestations, such as headache, visual disorders or retinal or cortical origin, confusion or disturbances of consciousness. Some authors consider eclampsia as being only one particular aspect of hypertensive encephalopathy. However, recent studies have drawn attention to the importance of angiospasm which might not be a pure reaction to hypertension but might result from a relative deficiency in vascular prostacyclin. These physiopathological factors, to which must sometimes be added disseminated intravascular coagulation, account for computerized tomographic and neuropathological findings showing cerebral oedema and, in complicated cases, ischaemic or haemorrhagic lesions. Medical treatment must rapidly control the convulsive attacks as well as the arterial hypertension. Magnesium sulfate is not much used outside the United States where it is now strongly controverted. The obstetrical management depends on the time when eclampsia occurs and on the efficacy of the medical treatment.

On the basis of a series of 18 cases of severe eclampsia, the authors analyse the predisposing circumstances for these episodes and the method of delivery. Caesarian section is still the usual method of delivery in severe cases (12/18). There is a high perinatal mortality (4/18), which is principally due to foetal distress which is inevitable during the episodes, to hypotrophy which is present in 3 out of 4 cases and to prematurity. There were no maternal deaths in this particular series. In the second part of the article, the authors consider the management and treatment of the eclamptic episode itself: relieve the maternal and foetal anoxia, stabilize the blood pressure, correct the hypovolaemia and prevent the development of convulsions.

Haemodynamic function was assessed in twenty patients with severe pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. In front of the earlier well-known data hypercinetic circulatory status was found with vascular resistance almost unchanged. As some investigators found two levels placental blood flow, haemodynamic status may be different in some cases. Consequences on therapy are discussed especially beta-bloquers and potential deleterious effects of anti-hypertensive treatments.