The Green Room: A Podcast from Obstetrics & Gynecology January 2024: Obstetrics
Dec 14, 2023
Dr. Jessica R. Ansari, a fellowship-trained obstetric anesthesiologist from Stanford, dives into the significant findings of her research on using intravenous calcium to reduce blood loss during cesarean deliveries. She discusses the impact of medical debt and public policy on maternal health, alongside innovations in obstetric care. The conversation also highlights the safety protocols in clinical trials for high-risk patients and the importance of addressing uterine atony to improve outcomes. Tune in for enlightening insights on advancing maternal healthcare!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Calcium Helped When Atony Was Present
- Intravenous calcium did not reduce mean quantitative blood loss for the entire trial population.
- A significant reduction appeared in the prespecified subgroup with uterine atony, suggesting targeted benefit.
Clinical Frustration Drove The Research
- As an obstetric anesthesiologist, Jessica often manages postpartum hemorrhage and felt frustrated by limited options when oxytocin fails.
- Common second-line uterotonics are contraindicated in many patients, motivating the search for additional therapies.
Serendipity Led To The Calcium Hypothesis
- Jessica Ansari discovered the uterine calcium dependency by chance while retrieving old papers during fellowship research.
- That 1959 paper showing uterine smooth muscle needs extracellular calcium inspired her pilot and subsequent randomized trials.