Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls

On May 22, 2024, we summarized a then soon-to-be-released ACOG CPU on Screening for GDM in Pregnancy and Postpartum. That CPU was officially released July 2024. That update endorsed the possibility of immediate postpartum GTT testing with a 75-gram OGTT. Now, on September 19, 2024, authors from UT Houston have published a systematic review/meta-analysis on this subject. In this episode, we will re...

Magnesium Sulfate for preeclampisa can be traced back to the work of Horn in 1906! Yet, despite such a long history of use, there are still questions about mag sulfate use that we just don’t have good answers for, and that’s indicative of the all the continued articles and commentaries on the subject that are still being released. For example, there are still sparse data regarding the ideal dosage...

Filet Mignon, Pork Loin, Rib-Eye….all delicious (unless you are vegetarian)! If you are a meat- eater, be aware of AGS. Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as Red Meat Allergy, is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur after a tick bite from a Lone Star tick or other tick species. While clustering within the US, Alpha-gal syndrome is found on every continent except Antarc...

Today, 9/12/24, the FDA released a SAFETY COMMUNICATION regarding Veozah. As you may recall, we have been following this novel medication since March 2023. This episode is NOT our regularly planned episode- that topic will come out as scheduled tomorrow AM 9/13/24! This is a SPECIAL REPORT episode in response to the FDA's communication released today. Listen in for important information regard...

Back in January 2024, we summarized the SFP's position statement on RH IG use (or rather non-use) under 12 weeks IUP gestations. Then, in February 2024, we released an episode summarizing the more conservative stance from the SMFM. Well now, 7 months after that episode, we have a new Clinical Practice Update from the ACOG on this very issue. That is the focus of this episode...and as we have s...

In our last episode we tackled random questions with specific answers. After that episode went live, one of our nurses asked about the value of antibiotics with a Bakri balloon in place. This conversation happened as we were placing the balloon for PPH in a patient on Mag-Sulfate for Preeclampsia with Severe Features. That's antibiotic question is another random question that needs to be answe...

Welcome to this episode of "Random Questions: Specific Answers"! In this episode we will (surprise) answer random questions- with specific answers- from our podcast family members: 1. Can administration of IV Calcium at intrapartum CS reduce QBL?, 2. What are the 4 classes of CS performance urgency? and 3. If a normal MVP for amniotic fluid is 2-8cm on ultrasound, does an MVP of >8cm...

on 09/02/2024, we released an episode called, "Do SSRIs Raise PTB Risk?". In that episode, we highlighted a new publication from the AJOG (August 30. 2024) which indicated that SSRIs may raise PTB risk. This is in contrast to a separate cohort study released Feb 2024. This is a classic case of "He Said, She Said". But now we have a REFEREE on the field to settle the score. This...

Tubal sterilization goes back to the 1880s. The first collaborative review of sterilization effectiveness was the CREST study published in 1996 in the AJOG. But that was with prior sterilization techniques. As a way to update the data researchers looked at the national survey for family growth (NSFG) from 2002 to 2015 to determine failure rates after more modern methods of tubal sterilization. Thi...

Depressive disorders during pregnancy are common, with estimated prevalence ranging from 11% to 16%. Accordingly, antidepressant drugs, most commonly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), are used by approximately 3–4% of pregnant women worldwide, with a higher prevalence in the United States compared to Europe. As antidepressants cross the placenta and the fetal blood-brain barrier, exp...

Just when we thought we had put coronavirus in our rearview mirror for the most part, here comes mPOX again. We covered that in a previous episode. Unfortunately, that is not the only pathogen to be concerned about. Enter: OROPOUCHE VIRUS (OROV). This virus was first reported in 1955, but it is making news today due to a rapid increase in cases. Coming from the Amazon Basin, and even Cuba, there h...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was first described in 1935 by Irving Freiler Stein and Michael Leo Leventhal at the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Since that time, it has gone through several name changes: Stein-Leventhal syndrome, PCOD, and currently PCOS. Nonetheless, proponents and scientists are still recommending yet another name change for this syndrome, one that b...

Our immediate past episode focused on the “C-section scar pregnancy”. In that episode we discussed the ultrasound markers of early pregnancy (first trimester). Now – today – HOT 🔥🔥OFF THE PRESS- is a new publication in the AJOG, which is “A Lexicon For First Trimester US: Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus Conference Recommendations“. This consensus statement is through a MOU throug...

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) occurs when an early pregnancy implants on the cesarean scar defect (CSD), myometrial tissue previously disrupted by cesarean delivery. The first case of CSP was reported in 1978 in a patient with a previous cesarean section (CS) who had heavy bleeding and abdominal pain after uterine curettage for a suspected miscarriage at 6 weeks. Eventual laparotomy revealed erosi...

(DISCLOSURE: Sexual Content) Back in April 2023, we released an episode on the “Jade Vaginal Egg” and vaginal weights for vaginal tightening. While we tackled the Jade Egg successfully, we now have a new player on the field: the VAGINAL TIGHTENING STICK. This over the counter “sex aid” can lead to chemical burns and severe vaginal dryness/agglutination. Marketed to improce vaginal laxity, some of...

The IUD is a very safe and supremely effective contraceptive method. Given its increasing rate of use, practitioners are bound to see its relatively infrequent complications with greater regularity. Typical complications are considered “lost strings“, uterine perforation at placement, and expulsion. But there is another complication, device FRACTURE at removal. This can cause distress to the patie...

In 1958, James et al. first described umbilical cord blood gas analysis to evaluate the fetus's metabolic condition at the time of delivery. It's recommended by both the British and American Colleges of Obstetrics and Gynecology for all high-risk deliveries. Cord blood gas provides the most accurate and objective evidence of fetal acidosis at the time of birth. Still, there is no universal...

According to the National Institutes of Health, almost 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, resulting in around 4,000 deaths, with most of the deaths occurring among under-screened women. Now, there is potentially a barrier-breaker. As of August 15, 2024, self-collection kits for cervical cancer screening may be available in doctor's offices and other...

The rise of home testing for STIs/HIV started long before the recent pandemic (the FDA approved its first HIV home test collection kit way back in 1996), but COVID-19 seems to have accelerated the popularity of getting tested from the comfort of our homes. In Nov 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization, the first of its kind, for an at-home test for chlamydia and gon...

The World Health Organization declared on 8/14/24 that the increasing spread of Mpox in Africa is a global health emergency, warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and...

On July 26, 2024, Boar’s Head issued its recall of 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that might be contaminated with the potential harmful bacteria, listeria. Sporadic listeria outbreaks are nothing new; in June 2024, chicken-based products were recalled for the same concern in Canada. The US recall includes more than 70 products — including liverwurst, ham, beef salami an...

Our tagline, “Medicine moves fast“, is the absolute truth! Historically, identification of fetuses at risk of hemolytic disease of the fetus/newborn (HDFN) required amniocentesis for determination of the Delta OD450, Liley Curve. This was the first screen, which would then trigger cordocentesis for determination of the fetal hematocrit. We’ve now moved on to middle cerebral artery (MCA) doppler of...

Prior to the 1970s, when component therapy became the preferred method of resuscitation, whole blood (WB) was the resuscitative medium of choice for hemorrhagic shock. In modern medicine, sometimes it turns out that the old way is better than the new…and using whole blood for transfusions is one example. Research is emerging that shows whole blood works better for these patients than fractionated...

MEC CHANGES ARE HERE! During January 2022, the CDC held virtual scoping meetings that included 27 participants with expertise in contraception, adolescent health, and thrombosis, as well as representatives from partner organizations, to solicit their individual input on the scope for updating both the 2016 U.S. MEC. The 27 invited participants represented various types of health care providers and...

In May 2023, the FDA approved fezolinetant (Veozah), an oral medication that's the first neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist to treat moderate to severe hot flashes caused by menopause. Now, a separate oral medication which blocks the NK 1 and 3 receptor iis on the scene. Although not yet FDA approved, the published phase 1, 2, and 3 data make this approval very likely. Bayer, the manufactu...