Biomedical subjects

Ahmed M Bahar

Publications and source records attributed to Ahmed M Bahar.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Emergency cervical cerclage. Does the gestational age make a difference?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of emergency cervical cerclage in prolongation of pregnancy and its effect on pregnancy outcome in patients with cervical incompetence. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who had an emergency cervical cerclage performed for cervical incompetence during the period from July 1995 to June 2002 was carried out in Abha General Hospital, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Twenty patients between 16 and 26 weeks of gestation with 1) cervical effacement, 2) cervical dilatation of < or =3 cm, 3) herniation of intact fetal membranes through the cervical os, 4) absence of established labor, and 5) absence of clinical evidence of infection were studied. The duration of cerclage in situ, gestation at delivery and birth weight were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean duration of cerclage in situ was 68.5 days. The mean gestation at delivery was 30.5 weeks and the mean birth weight was 1844 grams. The duration of cerclage in situ was significantly longer when the procedure was performed at or before 22 weeks of gestation with a p value of <0.02 (Mann-Whitney U test), but the difference in the gestation at delivery and birth weight was not significant. There was also a significant negative correlation between the gestation at cerclage and the duration of cerclage in situ (Spearman's correlation coefficient rs = -0.56, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Emergency cervical cerclage in early second trimester effectively prolonged pregnancy compared to emergency cerclage performed in late second trimester.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Maternal serum interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in preterm labor.

BACKGROUND: To find out whether preterm labor is associated with raised maternal serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and whether the measurement of these cytokines can be used to detect early intrauterine infection in preterm labor. METHODS: Cross-sectional study: 77 women in preterm labor, 47 controls of healthy preterm women not in labor and 19 women in term labor. The serum cytokines levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The newborns of women who were in labor were followed up for evidence of infection. Differences between groups were tested using analysis of variance, Student's t-test and chi2-test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the concentration of all the cytokines measured between the different groups. No statistical difference was found in the concentration of the cytokines between women in preterm labor with ruptured membranes and those with intact membranes. There was also no difference found in the concentration of cytokines between women whose newborns had positive bacterial culture and those with negative culture. There was a positive correlation between the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were not increased in preterm labor compared to normal control women. There is doubt regarding the usefulness of maternal serum measurement of these cytokines for the detection of early fetal infection in preterm labor, but this needs further evaluation.

Adolescent↗