OBJECTIVES: The diagnostic value of ultrasonographic quantitative indicators of umbilical cord coiling, such as the umbilical coiling index (UCI) and pitch value, in identifying hypercoiling and predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of UCI, pitch value, and the cerebroplacental ratio in pregnancies complicated by umbilical cord hypercoiling. METHODS: Pregnant women with densely coiled umbilical cords identified by routine obstetric ultrasound at Changsha Maternal and Child Health Hospital between November 2022 and November 2024 were enrolled. Complete clinical data, including UCI, pitch value, and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), were collected. Pregnancy outcome scores were calculated, and newborns were categorized into the normal outcome group (n=177) and adverse outcome group (n=85), with the latter further subdivided into mild (n=51), moderate (n=19), and severe (n=15) subgroups. Differences in baseline data, UCI, pitch value, and incidence of CRP<1 were compared between groups and among subgroups. Correlations between UCI, pitch value, and adverse pregnancy outcomes were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the predictive performance of UCI, pitch value, CPR<1, and their combinations. RESULTS: Compared with the normal outcome group, the adverse outcome group had higher age, parity, parity, incidence of CPR<1, and UCI, while gestational age at delivery and pitch values were lower (all P<0.05). The incidence of obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). The normal outcome group showed lower UCI and higher pitch values than all 3 adverse outcome subgroups (all P<0.05), while differences among the 3 adverse subgroups were not significant (all P>0.05). UCI was positively correlated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (r_s=0.350, P<0.05), whereas pitch value was negatively correlated (r_s=-0.286, P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values for predicting adverse outcomes were 0.837 for UCI, 0.886 for pitch value, and 0.610 for CPR<1, with sensitivities of 77.6%, 82.4%, and 27.1% and specificities of 78.5%, 83.6%, and 94.9%, respectively. The combined UCI+CPR<1 and pitch value+CPR<1 models yielded AUCs of 0.841 and 0.886, with sensitivities of 78.8% and 81.2% and specificities of 78.5% and 84.2%, respectively. No significant differences were found between the AUCs of UCI and pitch value (P>0.05), but both outperformed CPR<1 alone (both P<0.001). The combined models showed no significant improvement over UCI or pitch value alone (both P>0.05), though both were superior to CPR<1 alone (both P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Most umbilical cord hypercoiling cases had favorable outcomes, with UCI, pitch value, CPR<1 and their combinations demonstrating significant predictive value for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Adult ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal/methods* ; Umbilical Cord/diagnostic imaging* ; Hemodynamics ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Infant, Newborn ; ROC Curve

OBJECTIVES: The number of gestational women has been increased in recent years, resulting in more adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is crucial to assess the coagulation function of pregnant women and to intervene in a timely manner. This study aims to analyze the influencing factors on thrombelastography (TEG) and explore the evaluation of TEG for gestational women. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 449 pregnant women who were hospitalized in the obstetrics department in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from 2018 to 2020. We compared the changes on the TEG parameters among normal pregnant women between different age groups, different ingravidation groups, and different stages of pregnancy groups. The influence on TEG of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) as well as two diseases synchronization was explored. RESULTS: Compared with the normal second trimester women, the R values and K values of TEG were increased, and α angle, CI values and LY30 values were decreased in third trimester women (all P<0.05). Compared with normal group, the R values and CI values of TEG of the HDP group have significant difference (both P<0.05). There were no significant difference of TEG between the GDM group, the HDP combined with GDM group and the normal group (all P>0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the influencing factors for R value in TEG were weeks of gestation (P<0.001) and mode of conception (P<0.05), for α angle was weeks of gestation (P<0.05), for MA value was mode of conception (P<0.05), and for CI value was weeks of gestation (P<0.05). The analysis of correlation between TEG with platelet (PLT) and coagulation routines represented that there was a correlation between TEG R values and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (P<0.01), and negative correlation between TEG CI values and APTT (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between TEG K values and FIB (P<0.05). The correlation of α angle (P<0.05), MA values (P<0.01) and CI values (P<0.05) with FIB were positive respectively. CONCLUSIONS The TEG parameters of 3 stages of pregnancy were different. The different ingravidation approach has effect on TEG. The TEG parameters were consistent with conventional coagulation indicators. The TEG can be used to screen the coagulation status of gestational women, recognize the abnormalities of coagulation and prevent the severe complication timely.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Thrombelastography/methods* ; Blood Coagulation Tests/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Blood Coagulation ; Blood Platelets ; Diabetes, Gestational/diagnosis*

Objective: This study aims to investigate the correlation of an ultrasonic scoring system with intraoperative blood loss (IBL) in placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2015 and November 2019. Clinical data for patients with PAS have been obtained from medical records. Generalized additive models were used to explore the nonlinear relationships between ultrasonic scores and IBL. Logistic regressions were used to determine the differences in the risk of IBL ≥ 1,500 mL among groups with different ultrasonic scores. Results: A total of 332 patients participated in the analysis. Generalized additive models showed a significant positive correlation between score and blood loss. The amount of IBL was increased due to the rise in the ultrasonic score. All cases were divided into three groups according to the scores (low score group: ≤ 6 points, Conclusions The risk of blood loss equal to or greater than 1,500 mL increases further when ultrasonic score greater than or equal to 10 points, the preparation for transfusion and referral mechanism should be considered.
Adult ; Blood Loss, Surgical/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Placenta Accreta/surgery* ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal/statistics & numerical data*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of HBA METHODS: 1 178 couples in the department of women's health of Chongqing maternal and child health hospital were selected for pregnancy examination. Peripheral venous blood was extracted and analyzed for parallel blood routine test, hemoglobin capillary electrophoresis and thalassemia gene detection. RESULTS: A total of 265 cases of thalassemia gene carriers were screened out in 1 178 couples； 91.3% β CONCLUSION HBA
Child ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Hemoglobin A2/analysis* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Pregnancy ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; beta-Thalassemia/diagnosis*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of Rh phenotype, irregular antibodies screenting and postpartum follow-up of RhD METHODS: The samples of 313 RhD RESULTS: The Rh serological phenotypes of 313 RhD CONCLUSION The Rh serological phenotype of RhD
Blood Group Antigens ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System

Objective: To verify the health advisory for short-term exposure to phenol. Methods: The method of this validation experiment was the same as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methodology for toxicology experiments used to determine phenol drinking water equivalent level (DWEL). Pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered phenol in distilled water by gavage at daily doses of 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) from implantation (the 6th day post-mating) to the day prior to the scheduled caesarean section (the 20th day of pregnancy). The following information was recorded: general behavior; body weight; number of corpus luteum, live birth, fetus, stillbirth, and implantation; fetal gender; body weight; body length; tail length; and abnormalities and pathomorphological changes in the dams. Results: In the 60 mg/kg b.w. dose group, the mortality of pregnant rats increased with increasing doses, suggesting maternal toxicity. Fetal and placental weights decreased as phenol dose increased from 30 mg/kg b.w., and were significantly different compared those in the vehicle control group, which suggested developmental toxicity in the fetuses. However, the phenol-exposed groups showed no significant change in other parameters compared with the vehicle control group ( > 0.05). Conclusion Despite using the same method as the US EPA, a different NOEAL of 15 mg/(kg·d) was obtained in this study.
Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Environmental Pollutants ; toxicity ; Female ; Fetal Development ; drug effects ; Phenol ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toxicity Tests, Acute

Thyroid disorders are common, affecting more than 10% of people in the US, and laboratory tests are integral in the management of these conditions. The repertoire of thyroid tests includes blood tests for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb), and calcitonin. TSH and free thyroid hormone tests are frequently used to assess the functional status of the thyroid. TPO-Ab and TRAb tests are used to diagnose Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease, respectively. Tg and calcitonin are important tumor markers used in the management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), respectively. Procalcitonin may replace calcitonin as a biomarker for MTC. Apart from understanding normal thyroid physiology, it is important to be familiar with the possible pitfalls and caveats in the use of these tests so that they can be interpreted properly and accurately. When results are discordant, clinicians and laboratorians should be mindful of possible assay interferences and/or the effects of concurrent medications. In addition, thyroid function may appear abnormal in the absence of actual thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and in critical illness. Hence, it is important to consider the clinical context when interpreting results. This review aims to describe the above-mentioned blood tests used in the diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders, as well as the pitfalls in their interpretation. With due knowledge and care, clinicians and laboratorians will be able to fully appreciate the clinical utility of these important laboratory tests.
Antibodies ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Calcitonin ; Critical Illness ; Diagnosis ; Graves Disease ; Hematologic Tests ; Iodide Peroxidase ; Physiology ; Pregnancy ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroiditis ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

BACKGROUND: Under certain situations, women with twin pregnancies may be counseled to undergo invasive prenatal diagnostic testing. Chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis are the two generally performed invasive prenatal diagnostic tests. Studies comparing procedure-related fetal loss between first-trimester chorionic villus sampling and second-trimester amniocentesis in twin pregnancies are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the procedure-related fetal loss and the obstetrical outcomes of these two procedures, chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis in twin pregnancies. METHODS: The data from dichorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies on which first-trimester chorionic villus sampling (n = 54) or second-trimester amniocentesis (n = 170) was performed between December 2006 and January 2017 in a single center were retrospectively analyzed. The procedure-related fetal loss was classified as loss of one or all fetuses within 4 weeks of procedure, and overall fetal loss was classified as loss of one or all fetuses during the gestation. The groups were compared with respect to the procedure-related and obstetrical outcomes. RESULTS: The difference in proportion of procedure-related fetal loss rate (1.9% for chorionic villus sampling vs. 1.8% for amniocentesis; P = 1.000) and the overall fetal loss rate (7.4% for chorionic villus sampling vs. 4.7% for amniocentesis; P = 0.489) between the two groups was not significant. The mean gestational ages at delivery were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Both the overall fetal loss rate and the procedure-related fetal loss rate of chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis in dichorionic twin pregnancies had no statistical significance. Both procedures can be safely used individually.
Amniocentesis ; Chorion ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chorionic Villi ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Retrospective Studies ; Twins

BACKGROUND: Lower-limb varicose veins (VVs) are common and known to have a higher prevalence among people who work in occupations requiring prolonged standing. In the Republic of Korea, however, VV-related occupational factors have seldom been examined. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of VVs among nurses, an occupational group considered to be at high risk of VVs, and determine the occupational risk factors of prolonged standing. METHODS: Between March and August 2014, a questionnaire survey coupled with Doppler ultrasonography was conducted on the nurses working at a university hospital. RESULTS: A total of 414 nurses participated in the survey and diagnostic testing. From the survey analysis and test results, the prevalence of VVs in nurses was estimated to be 16.18%. Significant factors for venous reflux were age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–1.10], pregnancy (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.17–3.94), and delivery (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.08–3.78). The statistical significance of these factors was verified after risk adjustment for sociodemographic factors (OR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.27–9.09). CONCLUSION: Factors significantly associated with venous reflux were increasing age and prolonged working hours (≥ 4 hours) in a standing position (OR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.08–7.25), even after risk adjustment for sociodemographic factors. This study is significant in that an objective diagnosis of VVs preceded the analysis of the risk factors for VV incidence, thus verifying objectively that VVs are associated with occupations requiring prolonged hours of working in a standing position.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Incidence ; Occupational Groups ; Occupations ; Posture ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence* ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Adjustment ; Risk Factors* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Varicose Veins*

OBJECTIVE: In 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended that all pregnant women be offered screening or diagnostic tests for chromosomal abnormalities regardless of their age. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for common chromosomal aneuploidies was introduced as a screening test in case of high-risk pregnancies. We assessed the rates of prenatal tests in women aged 35 years and older. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to compare the rates of amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS), serum screening, and NIPT from January 2005 through March 2017 in women aged 35 years and older. We divided the initial 12 months after NIPT introduction into 4-month intervals, beginning in April 2016 through March 2017. RESULTS: The rates of amniocentesis were 56% before the ACOG statement, 38% between the ACOG statement and NIPT introduction, and 10% after NIPT introduction (P=0.001). The rates of CVS during the same periods were 0.5%, 2.1%, and 4.3% (P=0.016), respectively. The rates of serum screening were 44.2%, 61.3%, and 55.1% (P=0.049), respectively. During the 3 quarters after NIPT introduction, the rates of amniocentesis were 16.2%, 12.3%, and 7.3% (P=0.002), respectively; the rates of serum screening were 62%, 54%, and 46% (P=0.03), respectively; and the rates of NIPT were 19.9%, 30.3%, and 39.5% (P=0.007), respectively. The rates of CVS over the same periods were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The ACOG statement and NIPT introduction significantly decreased the rate of amniocentesis in women of advanced maternal age. NIPT also reduced the rate of serum screening.
Amniocentesis ; Aneuploidy ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Female ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Maternal Age* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies