Women’s Health Flashcards
What is the leading cause of direct maternal death in the UK?
VTE
What is the most common virus transmitted to the foetus during pregnancy?
CMV
List some causes of direct maternal death
- VTE (most common)
- Suicide (2nd most common)
- Sepsis (3rd most common)
- PPH
- Amniotic fluid embolism
- Pre-eclampsia
What is the most common gynaecological cancer in the developing world?
Endometrial cancer
What is the most common and 2nd most common cause of indirect maternal death?
- Cardiac disease (1st)
- Neurological conditions (2nd)
What is heath promotion?
Advising and educating patients about their health, enabling them to increase their control over and improve their health.
Outline the organisation of female health services in the United Kingdom including sexual health, genito-urinary medicine, midwifery, obstetrics and gynaecology
- Sexual health and GUM clinics.
- Community midwives.
- Antenatal clinics.
- Obs & gynae in-patients and outpatient services e.g. EPAU, abortion services.
Identify how the quality of women’s health services is measured at local and national level
LOCAL:
- Audits
- QIPs
NATIONAL:
- CQC
- Better births report 2016
- Maternity transformation model
- Shrewsbury and Telford - the Ockenden report 2022
- MBRRACE-UK reports into maternal deaths, stillbirths and infant deaths
Outline the relevance of societal, cultural, economic and political issues with regard to the provision of obstetrics, gynaecology and sexual health
- Societal: postcode lottery for IVF - how many cycles local CCG allows (NICE recommends 3).
- Cultural: opinions about abortion, LGBTQ+.
- Economic: cost of IVF if not funded by NHS.
- Political: rules on abortion.
Outline the aims of the Women’s Health Strategy
- Improving health outcomes for women.
- Better education.
- Ensuring the health-care system serves women’s needs across the life course.
- Strengthening research.
- Improve representation of women in clinical trials and medical research - to minimise the ‘gender gap’.
- Ensure women’s voices are heard.
- Improve access to services.
Describe the process of antenatal care and the statistical outcomes which are used to measure its benefit
ANTENATAL CARE:
- 8 weeks: booking appointment (education, bloods, BMI, urinalysis, BP, risk assessment e.g. gestational diabetes).
- 10 - 13+6 weeks: dating ‘12 week’ scan - accurate gestational age calculated from CRL and no. of foetuses.
- 16 weeks: antenatal appointment (BP, urine dip, SFH, foetal HR, maternal wellbeing, domestic violence).
- 18 - 20+6 weeks: anomaly ‘20 week’ scan.
- 25, 28, 31, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41 and 42 weeks: antenatal appointment.
- Vaccines: whopping cough and influenza.
- Lifestyle advice including folic acid, vitamin D, alcohol, smoking.
STATISTICAL OUTCOMES:
- Pregnancy outcomes - preterm birth and low birth weight.
- Pre-eclampsia.
- Anaemia during pregnancy.
- Stillbirth.
Discuss the application of the principles of effective screening to pregnancy
- Condition: important health problem (common/severe), epidemiology and natural history understood, detectable risk factor/disease marker/asymptomatic period, all cost effective primary interventions should’ve been implemented as far as possible - pregnancy is common, detectable disease markers e.g. Down’s syndrome screening beta-hCG.
- Test: simple/safe/precise/validated, normal distribution of valves known and cut off agreed, agreed policy on further management of test +ve - blood test are simple, safe and fairly non-invasive.
- Treatment: evidence based, effective intervention that leads to better outcomes if given earlier, cost-effective (lives saved and QALYs) - prepare mothers if child with Down’s syndrome, decision to terminate.
- Programme: effective at decreasing mortality and morbidity, benefit > harm, adequate resources, programme continually reviewed for quality assurance.
Describe the screening process for chromosomal abnormalities
- Combined test (first line): high beta-hCG, low PAPPA, NT > 6mm.
- Triple test: high beta-hCG, low AFP, low oestradiol.
- Quadruple test: high beta-hCG, low AFP, low oestradiol, high inhibin-A.
- Amniocentesis (later) or chorionic villus sampling (earlier) - cells karyotyped for a definite diagnosis.
- Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT): detects cell-free DNA.
Outline measurements of pregnancy outcome
- Maternal and neonatal mortality/morbidity.
- Stillbirth.
- Preterm birth.
- Birth weight.
- Birth injury.
- Mode of delivery.
- Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
- Mental health.
- Mother-infant bonding.
- Confidence and success with breastfeeding.
- Incontinence.
- Satisfaction with care and birth experience.
Discuss the priorities for health promotion in pregnancy and the evidence base for them
- Antenatal care - regular appointments with the midwife. Improves maternal and neonatal outcomes. Reduces stillbirths and pregnancy-related complications.
- Lifestyle advice e.g. folic acid, vitamin D, avoid smoking/alcohol, continue moderate exercise, avoid certain foods e.g. shellfish, liver/pate and unpasteurised milk/cheese.
- Education - look out for red flags and maternal health advice.
- Mental health screening.
- Screening: blood tests (e.g. HIV, syphilis, hep B, sickle cell, thalassaemia), Down’s syndrome, gestational diabetes.
Access and interpret national fetal, perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity statistics
FOETAL MORTALITY:
- Stillbirths and neonatal death decreasing - due to improvement in general healthcare, midwifery, NICU.
- High number of death in first year, but decreasing due to back to sleep campaign.
- Higher in ethnic minorities, teenage pregnancies, lower SEC.
STILLBIRTHS:
- The stillbirth rate was 3.8 stillbirths per 1,000 births in 2020 - a record low, and in line with previous decreasing trends.