Weaver, Amy

Background Patients with self-reported antibiotic allergies have a higher cost of care, more frequent infections with resistant bacteria and worse health outcomes than patients without antibiotic allergies. Ultimately, less than 5% of patients who report a penicillin allergy have a clinically significant immune-mediated hypersensitivity reaction when tested. As 10%–30% of the population of pregnant patients are colonised for group B Streptococcus (GBS) and guidelines recommend penicillin as the treatment of choice for GBS, current recommendations support penicillin allergy testing in pregnant patients who report an allergy. Methods and intervention In this quality improvement project, nursing staff used an algorithm outlining inclusion and exclusion criteria to determine which patients were eligible to have penicillin allergy testing completed. Penicillin allergy testing consisted of a skin test using benzylpenicilloyl polylysine (Pre-Pen), penicillin G potassium, amoxicillin and alkaline hydrolysis mix (penicilloate) as a prick skin test, followed by intradermal skin test and finally an oral challenge with either amoxicillin or penicillin. Patient outcomes were analysed to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Results Of the 1266 patients receiving prenatal care during the intervention, 236 (19%) reported a history of penicillin allergy, and 212 if these were eligible for testing. 150 of the eligible patients were offered penicillin allergy testing. 101 patients (67%) completed testing and 49 (33%) declined testing. Seven patients (7%) had positive penicillin allergy testing, while 94 patients (93%) had negative penicillin allergy testing and were immediately de-labelled as penicillin allergic. Seventeen of the de-labelled patients subsequently tested positive for GBS colonisation, and all received intrapartum penicillin without adverse events. Conclusions Pursuing penicillin allergy testing for pregnant patients with reported penicillin allergy is a safe and feasible approach, allowing for allergy de-labelling and safe, guideline-driven antimicrobial therapy during subsequent labour and delivery hospitalisations. Cost-effectiveness of the allergy testing and impact on later episodes of care should be further investigated.

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. There are multiple known risk factors, including induction of labor. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was completed with review of nulliparous women undergoing labor induction at term, from July 2006 to May 2011. Baseline maternal variables and risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage were assessed. All combinations of methods of induction were sequential rather than concurrent. The need for additional uterotonics (beyond routine oxytocin) was used as a surrogate for postpartum hemorrhage. Variables were evaluated for an association with additional uterotonic use based on fitting logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 785 women were included in the study. Additional uterotonics were required for 84/785 (11%) of women. Based on univariate analysis, only birth weight and presence of meconium were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with additional uterotonic use, while method of induction approached statistical significance (p=0.06). The mean (SD) birth weight was 3668 (584) vs. 3463 (500) grams in those with and without additional uterotonic use. Multivariate analysis showed an increased risk of additional uterotonics with higher birth weight (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.44 per 500 gram increase in birth weight; 95% CI 1.15, 1.82) and use of Foley plus oxytocin (aOR 4.40; 95% CI 1.36, 14.23). CONCLUSION: In our model, higher birth weight and induction method of Foley followed by oxytocin were associated with increased need for additional uterotonics. This data adds detail to previous studies that have broadly identified induction of labor as a risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage.