The costs to medical practices for implementing the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision (ICD-10) coding system have been grossly underestimated, according to a recent study by Nachimson Advisors for the American Medical Association (AMA). The association is calling for a delay in the October 1, 2014, ICD-10 go-live date in order to give practices more time to prepare for the financial and administrative requirements.
Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, prospectively investigated stroke risk among 10,876 male and 19,278 female patients with type 2 diabetes. The goal of the study, which appeared in the journal Diabetologia, was to better understand the relationship between glycemic control and stroke risk. The researchers note that more women than men tend to die from stroke in developed countries. In 2010 in the United States, 77,109 women and 52,367 men died from stroke, according to the study.
Girls who become pregnant when they are aged younger than 15 years are more likely than slightly older women to have much older sexual partners, to not use contraception the first time they have sex, and to be Hispanic or black, suggesting that they may be particularly vulnerable to relationships with unequal power.
A study scheduled to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 66th annual meeting in April suggests a possible connection between use of hormonal contraception and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Massively parallel sequencing of maternal cell-free DNA (cfDNA testing) has been shown better at predicting fetal aneuploidies than standard screening in a new study among a general obstetric population. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the report by the CARE Study group was funded by Illumina.
Some societies and institutions are developing formal policies on morcellation in response to an increase in public concern over the possibility of this procedure spreading and upstaging undetected cancer in the uterus.
A reader responds to the February 2014 cover story, "When opiate abuse complicates pregnancy."
Time-lapse photography applied to embryo development is commonly called morphokinetics, because it combines the morphological criteria that are typically used for embryo grading/evaluation with the kinetics of development for each embryo at certain predefined checkpoints.
New study findings have revealed that only about a third of women of childbearing age take folic acid regularly, revealing that health policy alone does not work.
Adding a monoclonal antibody (MAb)-bevacizumab-to combination chemotherapy may increase survival in patients with recurrent cervical cancer, according to results of a National Cancer Institute-funded randomized trial. Use of bevacizumab in cervical cancer is experimental; the MAb currently is approved to treat metastatic colorectal cancer, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer, and glioblastoma.
First-time mothers who use formula supplementation in the hospital are likely to breastfeed for a shorter time, even if their intention is to exclusively breastfeed, according to a new study in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are an effective form of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) with low complication rates, yet adolescents are more likely than adult women to request early removal of the devices, according to a new study in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Navigating the complexities of privacy in the adolescent gyn patient can be tricky. Here, Deborah Ottenheimer, MD, a specialist in adolescent gynecology, shares her protocol for providing confidential medical care to teen patients.
Of the 8 cases of listeriosis that have been confirmed in this latest outbreak, 5 of the cases were related to pregnancy, underscoring the importance of food safety in pregnant women.
What abnormality of the placenta is affecting this late second-trimester pregnancy?
Women who have had bariatric surgery require special care during pregnancy, particularly with assessment of micronutrient deficiencies and appropriate replacement. Here’s one ob/gyn’s approach.
Lifestyle advice, including diet and exercise information, can reduce the number of infants who are born weighing more than 4 kg (8.8 lb) among overweight and obese pregnant women, research shows.
Two doses of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against genital warts nearly as well as the standard 3-dose schedule, according to new study findings.
A new study with up to 25 years’ follow up is reopening debate about the value of screening mammography in women aged 40 to 59. Published in BMJ, the Canadian research found that 22% of women in that screening population-or 1 in every 424-had an over-diagnosed breast cancer.
A daily regimen of low-dose (
Having a major mental illness triples the risk that an adolescent will become teenaged mother, according to a study in Pediatrics. The research is the first to look at fertility trends in adolescents with mental illnesses.
New guidelines for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in obstetrical patients have been released. Provided here is an overview of the guidelines and tips on how to implement them.
Premenopausal removal of the ovaries accelerates bone loss and carotid artery thickening in postmenopausal women, putting women at higher risk for both osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Evidence shows that continuing professional education and structured internal audit can both reduce levels of obstetrical interventions and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
Administration of perioperative antibiotics and indomethacin may significantly prolong gestation after second-trimester cerclage, according to a study presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine: The Pregnancy Meeting.
Rates of cesarean delivery have risen, and with them, interest in determining what influence-if any-progress and management of labor have on the uptick. A retrospective chart review presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine: The Pregnancy Meeting suggests that labor curves are unchanged and a better understanding of labor management is needed to reverse the cesarean trend.
“Term” delivery is defined as 39 weeks 0 days, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For women with repeat cesareans, that timing may not result in the best outcomes, say investigators from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.
New research presented at The Pregnancy Meeting™ last week in New Orleans shows that noninvasive prenatal testing can detect more than 80% of chromosomal abnormalities.
For patients with PCOS, a common household ingredient may help improve symptoms of the disorder. However, lifestyle modifications that support weight loss and healthful eating remain key to improving symptoms.