Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The aim of this study was to assess any changes in cause-specific fetal death rates in the nonreferred population of a tertiary care unit. The fetal death rate (per 1000 births) among 88,651 births diminished from 11.5 in the 1960s to 5.1 in the 1980s. Fetal death due to intrapartum asphyxia and Rh isoimmunization has almost disappeared. Toxemia and diabetes continue to make similar and small contributions to fetal death rates. There has been a significant decline in unexplained antepartum fetal deaths and in those caused by fetal growth retardation, but no significant change in the death rate due to intrauterine infection or abruptio placentae. During the 1960s, the risk of fetal death was increased in women with hypertension, diabetes, or a history of stillbirth; during the 1980s, only women with a history of insulin-dependent diabetes were at risk. Improved application of current knowledge may help decrease the fetal death rate caused by fetal growth retardation. Reduction in deaths due to abruptio placentae, intrauterine infections, or lethal malformations, as well as unexplained antepartum deaths, appears to depend on better understanding of the etiology of these disorders.
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PMID:The changing pattern of fetal death, 1961-1988. 172 82

Lysozyme activity was measured in amniotic fluid samples from 90 pregnant women with gestational age ranging from 30 to 41 weeks. Twenty-nine samples were from high-risk subjects with different pathologies and signs of fetal distress. The control group consisted of 20 normal and 41 pathological pregnant women, whose disorders included Rh isoimmunization, diabetes, systemic arterial hypertension and pre-eclampsia without signs of fetal distress. Amniotic fluid lysozyme levels in normal controls were similar to those detected in abnormal pregnant women without signs of fetal distress (means = 156.0 vs 131.8 micrograms/ml for 34-37 weeks of gestation), with a tendency toward higher values as pregnancy progressed to term (means = 182.1 vs 155.4 micrograms/ml for 38-41 weeks of gestation). Lysozyme levels were significantly lower in high-risk pregnant women with signs of fetal distress, regardless of neonate birth weight, than in subjects showing no such signs (means = 40.3 and means = 25.4 micrograms/ml at 34-37 and 38-41 weeks of gestation, respectively). These data support the possibility of using amniotic fluid lysozyme activity levels as an indicator of fetal distress.
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PMID:Amniotic fluid lysozyme activity in fetal distress. 209 89

Twenty-nine hydropic infants were born in the Kandang Kerbau Hospital between 1980 and 1985, during which there were 131,658 deliveries, giving an incidence of 1 in 4,540 total births. Twenty-five of these cases were confirmed to be due to homozygous alpha thalassaemia. No case of fetal hydrops due to Rh isoimmunization was detected. The mean age of the mothers was 28.86 +/- 4.05 years (+/- SD). Eight patients had delivered 1 hydropic baby previously while 1 had a history of 2 babies with hydrops fetalis; 92% of the patients had been followed antenatally while 8% were first seen when they were admitted in labour; 25% of the patients had anaemia, 52% had polyhydramnios, 20% developed hypertension and 64% had bilateral lower limb oedema. None of the patients had concomitant hypertension, generalized oedema and proteinuria. In 4 cases of recurrent hydrops, serial ultrasound scans were performed from early pregnancy but ultrasonic features of hydrops fetalis were only seen from 27 weeks' gestation. Spontaneous labour occurred in 75% of patients at a mean of 32.3 +/- 3.3 weeks (+/- SD). All delivered vaginally and only 1 patient required abdominal decompression. Four patients required Caesarean section, 2 for failure to progress after induction of labour, 1 for major placenta praevia and the fourth for fetal distress; in the last case, diagnosis of hydrops fetalis was only made after delivery of the baby. All the babies in the series died within one hour of delivery. Homozygous alpha thalassaemia is the commonest cause of hydrops fetalis in Singapore and is an invariably fatal condition. It is associated with an increased incidence of maternal anaemia, polyhydramnios and prematurity.
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PMID:Bart's hydrops fetalis--clinical presentation and management--an analysis of 25 cases. 260 53

This paper presents 2 cases of intrauterine death induced satisfactorily using intrauterine extraamniotic Prostin E2. The 1st case involved a 39-year old woman with severe hypertension and superimposed toxemia. She was admitted at 24 weeks with a blood pressure of 175/100 mm Hg, albuminuria, and edema. Ultrasonic biparietal measurement showed increasingly retarded fetal growth. Intrauterine death occured at 32 weeks. Labor was induced with intrauterine extraamniotic Prostin E2 introduced by a Foley catheter. This was the method of choice because of the patient's hypertension, albuminuria, and impaired renal function. The patient delivered uneventfully after 5 hours and 3 doses of 2 ml. There was no puerperal pyrexia. The 2nd case involved a 38-year old woman who suffered intrauterine death at 28 weeks due to severe Rhesus isoimmunization. Intravenous oxytocin and intravenous prostaglandin were initially used unsuccessfully to induce labor. Labor was induced rapidly using PGE2 via the intrauterine extraamniotic route. Full dilation was achieved with intravenous oxytocin. Induction delivery interval was 9 hours. There was no puerperal pyrexia. It is suggested that intrauterine but extraamniotic PGE2 is a reasonable method of induction in cases of intrauterine death because of the short induction delivery interval. Active management of intrauterine death is needed to avoid potentially serious complications, the most serious of which is the risk of coagulation disorder if the dead fetus is left in utero. Other important considerations are the patient's hospital beds. Intrauterine extraamniotic PGE2 may be safer and more effective than amniotomy and intravenous oxytocin and intraamniotic hypertonic saline because the membranes are left intact and because of the rapid induction time.
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PMID:Intrauterine death treated with intrauterine extra-amniotic prostaglandin E2. 446 77

For women whose health cannot support pregnancy, the author's obstetrics department has formed a multidisciplinary team to counsel couples on psychological and practical aspects of contraception and abortion. High risk pregnancies are those occuring in women with such disorders as cardiopathy, nephropathy, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, Rhesus isoimmunization and psychosis. Two approaches are used: to prevent or terminate pregnancy. Contraception must be explained concretely, addressing the couples' particular situation and personality. Pills are often contraindicated, in high risk patients as are IUDs in nulliparas and those taking anticoagulants. Many couples used to careful medical surveillance can adjust to temperature rhythm or diaphragms. For women who must have Tubal ligation, the decision is made jointly by the couple, obstetrician, psychotherapist and specialist. Counseling is usually necessary to prevent psychological or sexual dysfunction, particularly in those sterilized during caesarean section if the infant's survival is also at risk. A similar multidisciplinary team is consulted for therapeutic abortion alone or combined with tubal ligation.
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PMID:[Fecundity and high risk pregnancy]. 507 55

Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) was measured in the pellet fraction of 863 amniotic fluid samples, and charts were reviewed for maternal disease, duration of gestation at collection, and outcome of pregnancy. PG was present at 32 to 34 weeks' gestation in 24.1% of samples; at 35 to 36 weeks, in 52.3%; and at 37 weeks, in 85.4%. Pre-eclamptic toxemia/hypertension, diabetes, premature rupture of membranes, and preterm labor all had earlier appearance of PG than a comparison group. There was no delay in lung maturity in gestational diabetics or Rh isoimmunization. Infants of patients with overt diabetes with PG greater than or equal to 0.5% did not develop respiratory distress syndrome. This value appeared in 30% of diabetic patients by 35 to 36 weeks and in 76.9% by 37 weeks' gestation.
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PMID:Assessment of fetal lung maturity: relationship of gestational age and pregnancy complications to phosphatidylglycerol levels. 706 41