Diagnosis of Subclinical Amniotic Fluid Infection Prior to Rescue Cerclage Using Gram Stain and Glucose Tests: An Individual Patient Meta-Analysis
Objectives: Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) can affect outcomes following rescue cerclage. We carried out a study to compare the diagnostic performance of the Gram stain and glucose tests for detecting subclinical MIAC. Methods: We used individual-level data from published studies on Gram stain, glucose, and amniotic fluid culture among women with preterm labour. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and other indices, with amniotic fluid culture results used as the gold standard. The probability of infection using both tests as predictors was also estimated using logistic regression. Results: The rate of culture-confirmed MIAC was 11.8% (34 of 288 women). The Gram stain test yielded a sensitivity of 65% (95% CI 46% to 78%) and a specificity of 99% (95% CI 98% to 100%). A positive Gram stain or glucose test had a sensitivity of 88% (95% CI 72% to 96%) and a specificity of 87% (95% CI 82% to 90%), while a positive Gram stain and a positive glucose test had a sensitivity of 62% (95% CI 44% to 77%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI 98% to 100%). The AUC for the tests were Gram stain 0.82 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.90), glucose 0.86 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.93), and combined Gram stain and glucose 0.92 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.98). Using the tests, singly or in combination, provided greater clinically important calibration, risk-stratification, and classification accuracy than using no tests. Conclusion: Amniotic fluid Gram stain and/or glucose testing provides substantially improved performance for the diagnosis of subclinical MIAC compared with no testing.
BACKGROUND: Routine surveillance of congenital anomalies has shown recent increases in ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) in British Columbia, Canada. We examined the temporal trends in ankyloglossia and…
OBJECTIVE: To describe temporal and regional variations in Canada in the use of operative vaginal delivery (OVD) at term for singleton pregnancies by pelvic station between 2004 and 2013.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors underlying the recent increase in maternal mortality ratios (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) in the United States.