Family Medicine

Intermittent Auscultation Safety

A shift in the care of low-risk pregnant women has occurred. Moving away from a high-interventional approach towards a low-interventional approach has started, but universal adoption by providers and hospitals is lagging. Intermittent Auscultation (IA) should be included in the…

EFM Case Study #22: Intermittent Auscultation Risks

After decades of rigorous comparison in 13 randomized controlled trials, continuous electronic fetal monitoring (CEFM) shows no clinical benefit over intermittent auscultation (IA) but it remains the primary method of fetal surveillance during labor. There is a current disconnect between…

EFM Case Study #21: Failure to Monitor

Prolonged periods of uninterpretable or absent fetal heart rate data (FHR) or uterine contraction (UC) data on the EFM strip can lead to legal complications. Failing to maintain a continuous EFM strip can imply that the perinatal team was inattentive…

Preterm Birth: Treatment Benefits

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the most challenging issues in perinatal medicine today. The preterm birth rate in the United States is one of the worst among all developed countries and it is on the rise. Failing to monitor…

Preterm Birth: Prevention

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the most challenging issues in perinatal medicine today. The preterm birth rate in the United States is one of the worst among all developed countries and it is on the rise. Failing to monitor…

Proton Pump Inhibitor Use in Healthy Infants

Prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for infants and children have risen steeply and disproportionately to the incidence of severe cases, such as GERD with erosive esophagitis, for which they are intended. Pediatricians and other pediatric healthcare professionals should be…

Metabolic Surgery for Obese Type 2 Diabetics

Not so long ago, bariatric or obesity surgery was considered experimental and not covered by health insurance. Now, numerous high-quality randomized controlled studies have shown that metabolic surgery has powerful antidiabetic effects for obese Type 2 Diabetic (T2D) patients. In…

Shoulder Dystocia Part 3: Prevention

Shoulder dystocia (SD) is a sudden and unpredictable obstetrical emergency and a significant cause of obstetric claims. Updates and additional research outlined in ACOG’s Practice Bulletin #178 offer an appropriate approach to identifying populations at-risk, SD risk factors, and managing…

Shoulder Dystocia Part 2: Risk Assessment

Shoulder dystocia (SD) is a sudden and unpredictable obstetrical emergency and a significant cause of obstetric claims. Updates and additional research outlined in ACOG’s Practice Bulletin #178 offer an appropriate approach to identifying populations at-risk, SD risk factors, and managing…

Shoulder Dystocia Part 1: Risk Implications

Shoulder dystocia (SD) is a sudden and unpredictable obstetrical emergency and a significant cause of obstetric claims. Updates and additional research outlined in ACOG’s Practice Bulletin #178 offer an appropriate approach to identifying populations at-risk, SD risk factors, and managing…