Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls

It’s the holiday season, but the holidays can exacerbate depression/anxiety and even increase suicidal ideation in some individuals. Suicide deaths are a leading cause of maternal mortality in the US, yet the prevalence and trends in suicidality (suicidal ideation and/or intentional self-harm) among childbearing individuals remain poorly described. Oddly, the CDC data excludes deaths from "acciden...

A brief explanation regarding our podcast just released, “Ovaries In or Out”!

Historically, prophylactic oophorectomy was performed at time of benign hysterectomy in patients at/over 45 years of age. Is this still evidence based? Is the reduction in ovarian cancer development a net win or net loss compared to ovarian conservation? In this podcast we will review the data regarding risks/benefits of ovarian conservation at time of benign hysterectomy in the general population...

Considered controversial, traditionally steroids for fetal lung maturation were not given in patients with clinical chorioamnionitis. But is this really evidence-based? And since most patients will be delivered quickly after this diagnosis, how fast can steroids be expected to have a benefit on the child? In this session we will summarize a December 2020 Expert Review from the AGOG on that subject...

In the very near future, possibly just days away, the FDA is anticipated to approve at least 1 new COVID-19 vaccine. Were pregnant and/or lactating women included in the phase III vaccine clinical trials? What is the safety data for the vaccine in pregnancy? Are pregnant and/or lactating women part of the vaccine distribution framework? These are tough, and even controversial, aspects that must be...

A woman dies every 12 hours in this country from pregnancy-related complications. 2/3rds of these deaths are preventable! Let that sink in. On December 3, 2020, the US Surgeon General released a CALL TO ACTION to rectify this reality. In particular, ONE race is carrying this burden more than others. In this podcast we will summarize the main points of this 71 page monograph, and tie in potential s...

Once considered TABOO, women having receptive “Backdoor” sexual attention has gained a lot of press in both medical as well as non-medical publications. Does ACOG have a committee opinion on this? YES. And in this podcast we will discuss data on prevalence of, orgasmic response to, and possible STI implications of “backdoor activities” in women.

The two most common types of headaches in pregnancy are tension type and migraine. Is Imitrex safe to use in pregnancy? A common alternative medication regimen includes the use of Benadryl and Reglan for acute headache. Is there data for this? And what about Botox in pregnancy? In this podcast we will review the data on the medical management of migraine headaches in pregnancy.

In December 2020, ACOG will release an updated committee opinion on delayed umbilical cord clamping with 3 additional areas addressed: 1. multiple gestations, 2. cord milking in extreme premature infants, and 3. the effect of delayed cord clamping on umbilical cord blood collection. We will summarize these key points in this session!

In 2017, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association revised the definition of normal BP, elevated BPs, and Stage 1 & 2 Hypertension. ACOG has not adopted these new classifications for pregnancy care. Are women with elevated blood pressures or Stage I hypertension at risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes? In this podcast, we will review a soon to be released publication from...

The birth control pill remains one of the most common medications used in reproductive aged women. As all birth control pills have a net antiandrogenic affect, does this result in less libido? What does the data say? Do you inform women of this potential side effect when they start combination birth control? We will tackle these questions in this session!

Ever since the first progestin was isolated and reproduced out of Mexican Yams in the early 1950s, the race was on to formulate a low-risk, highly effective, oral birth control agent. Birth control pills remain one of the most common medications used by reproductive age women. We are now in the 4th generation of synthetic progestins in the pill. But do these matter? Is anti-androgenic activity rea...

Modafinil and armodafinil are stimulant meds called “smart meds”. Their use is on the rise, but there are important drug interactions with these meds and certain birth control (BC) options. Additionally, new data has revived attention to the association of the stimulants to congenital birth defects. In this session, we will review the MOA of these meds and discuss BC options with their use. We wil...

It has been a debate for many years: should we be doing routine screening for BV before hysterectomy/gynecology procedures? What about at C-section? It’s a good question especially acknowledging that there is a high rate of asymptomatic BV. In this episode, we will review an “expert review“ from the AJOG from March 2020 and a recently released rebuttal to that review. What does the ACOG say? Let’s...

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common vaginal diagnoses in women’s health practices. Over the years there has been increasing evidence that BV is not just an annoying vaginal condition but has true risks of heightened STI acquisition, PID, post-op vaginal complications, and even infertility. In this session, we will review a new soon to be released publication from the AJ0G. This arti...

In this continuation, we will cover the reported potential, adverse reproductive outcomes with CUAs. Which surgical corrective procedures should be attempted, and when? Let’s cover that now.

The evaluation of congenital uterine anomalies can be traced back to the mid 19th-century. In this session, we will review the ASRM and the ESHRE classification schemes for these anomalies. What is the gold standard for diagnosis? When is an MRI necessary? We will answer these questions and more in the session. We will address reproductive outcomes in part 2.

On September 25, 2020, a new cervical cancer screening working group revised the algorithm (as a proposal) for management of minimally abnormal cervical cancer screening tests. This was released in JAMA. The new focus is on the presence/persistence of high risk HPV in the pathogenesis of cytology abnormalities. Let’s cover that in this session.

In October 2020, JAMA Pediatrics released a publication that is drawing MAJOR criticism from 5 major professional societies. This study highlighted a potential association between labor epidurals and child autism risk. However, there is a lot more to the story that needs to be told. In this session, we will break down the study and offer reassurance that “association“ does not prove “causation“. A...

In May 2020, the FDA approved a new novel, non-hormonal vaginal contraceptive that can be used “on demand“. Although this functions as a “pH regulator“ of the vagina with spermicidal properties, it is not nonoxynol-9-based. In this session, we will review the information in the instructions for use of Phexxi, and summarize key points from some published commentary on the subject.

There are calls to remove 17 OHP from the market based on the results of the PROMISE trial. This leaves us with a gap in tools for prevention of preterm birth. This is where CERCLAGE comes in. Cerclage is not only indicated in patients with previous history of incompetent cervix, as there is emerging data that cerclage plays a role in preterm birth prevention based on cervical length. In this podc...

Over the past several years there’s been some alarming publications “linking“ endometriosis to certain ovarian epithelial malignancies. Is this a valid cause for concern? What is the absolute risk? In this podcast we will put the data into perspective and highlight information from the Lancet as well as MD Anderson‘s Gynecology Oncology data.

Antenatal corticosteroids help reduce a number of morbidities in the preterm infant. However, chorioamnionitis is generally considered a contraindication. The scientific basis for this is actually unclear. On September 28, 2020, the AJOG released a new publication ahead of print that helped shed some light on the subject. Are steroids harmful or beneficial to the preterm infant in the setting of C...

Endometriosis, a chronic disease that afflicts millions of women worldwide, has traditionally been diagnosed by laparoscopic surgery. This diagnostic barrier delays identification and treatment by years, resulting in prolonged pain and disease progression. Development of a noninvasive diagnostic test could significantly improve timely disease detection. Recently, 2 innovative/non-invasive tools ha...

One theory behind elevated post-partum blood pressure is that there is a large volume of sodium mobilized into the intravascular compartment in the post-partum period. Loop diuretics have been suggested as methods to accelerate post-partum blood pressure recovery due to their ability to mobilize sodium and fluid excretions. Is there level I data on the use of furosemide for postpartum preeclampsia...