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This article explores the association between the placental-fetal volume ratio at gestational week 27 and the time to spontaneous delivery. The study included 100 pregnancies and measured placental and fetal volume using magnetic resonance imaging. The results showed that a higher placental-fetal ratio was associated with a longer duration of pregnancy until spontaneous labor. Additionally, increasing placental size was also associated with a longer duration of pregnancy, while fetal size showed no association. These findings suggest that the placental-fetal ratio at gestational week 27 may serve as an indicator of the remaining time until the onset of spontaneous labor. [Extracted from the article]

Methadone (R,S-methadone) can prolong the QT interval. R-methadone inhibits cardiac potassium channel function less than S-methadone. We tested if switching from methadone to R-methadone would reduce corrected QT (QTc) intervals in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients. Nine patients, with automatically read QTc intervals ≥450 ms, were required to detect a 20 ms (clinically relevant) reduction in QTc intervals with 15 ms standard deviation (SD) and 90% power. Nine stabilized MMT patients, using median (range) 70 (40-120) mg methadone, were included. Data (ECG recordings, serum samples, and withdrawal symptoms) were collected both before drug intake (C min ) and at 3 h after drug intake (C max ), and were collected on the day before the switch from methadone to equipotent R-methadone dose and at 14 and 28 days after the switch. A cardiologist calculated QTc intervals retrospectively. Serum electrolytes and methadone concentrations were measured. Mean QTc intervals at C min were 472 ms and 422 ms on methadone (automatically and manually read) and 414 ms on R-methadone (manually read). Mean (SD) change in QTc intervals was -8 (10) ms (p = 0.047) at C min but non-significant at C max . R-methadone showed a concentration-dependent relationship with QTc intervals. Switching to R-methadone reduced QTc intervals, but far less than the 20 ms considered clinically relevant., (© 2024 The Authors. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)