Protocol for evaluation of the continuum of primary care in the case of a miscarriage in the emergency room: a mixed-method study

Suspected Miscarriage in the Experience of Emergency Medical Services Teams-Preliminary Study

Vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain are symptoms indicative of a threat to pregnancy that prompt women to seek assistance from health care professionals. The purpose of the study was to present the characteristics of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team interventions in cases of suspected miscarriage. The study involved a retrospective analysis of EMS team interventions in cases of suspected miscarriage carried out between January 2018 and December 2019 in Poland. Data obtained from Poland's National Monitoring Center of Emergency Medical Services included emergency medical procedure records and EMS team dispatch records in electronic format. The mean patient age was 30.53 years. Most were primiparous (48.90%) and up to the 13th gestational week (76.65%). The most commonly reported symptom was vaginal bleeding (80.71%). EMS teams were most commonly dispatched in the winter (27.03%), between 7 A.M. and 6:59 P.M. (51.87%), in urban areas (69.23%), with urgency code 2 (55.60%), and in most cases, they transferred the patient to a hospital (97.53%). The present study addresses very important issues concerning the characteristics of Polish suspected miscarriage cases handled by different EMS team types, in different locations (urban vs. rural areas), and concerning patients in a different obstetric situation (gestational week, gravidity, parity). Our findings suggest a need for further studies in this field and for gestational health promotion activities to be implemented, specifically including actions to reduce the risk of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.

Emergency care under the magnifying glass: a review of ethnographic studies in the scientific literature on hospital emergency services

The article presents a review of ethnographic studies in the scientific literature on hospital emergency services, with the objective of systematizing the studies and their principal findings, referring to the health-disease-healthcare process in hospital emergency services from an ethnographic perspective. An integrative literature review was performed of studies published in Argentine and international indexed journals and in the following electronic databases: PubMed, VHL, Scopus, Redalyc, and SciELO. The corpus of the analysis consisted of a total of 69 articles, which were submitted to content analysis, having identified the following analytical dimensions: quality of care, communication and bonds, subjectivity, application of information technologies, methodological reflection, patients' experiences and practices, decision-making, and violence. The results allowed identifying a process that differs from guidelines and protocols, in which healthcare workers' subjective aspects, communication and interpersonal relations, and working conditions shape, orient, and condition the treatment and care provided in the hospital. The article thus highlights the approach to subjective aspects in health studies, to understand not only health workers' perspectives and experiences but also the persistent barriers to providing better quality of care, complexifying a problem ignored by a large share of the analyses.

The psychological implications of a subsequent pregnancy outcome in couples with a history of miscarriage

OBJECTIVES

The present study expands upon reproductive research by examining perinatal grief in couples following a miscarriage and throughout a subsequent pregnancy. The aim of the study was to address the question of whether the outcome of a successful live birth mitigates the negative impact of a previous miscarriage.

METHOD

Participants were recruited through 20 general practice surgeries that provided antenatal care in the United Kingdom. The study comprised 128 couples; 64 couples who experienced two consecutive miscarriages, and 64 couples who experienced a live birth following a miscarriage. Participants completed the Perinatal Grief Scale across four Time points (T1: Six weeks following the first pregnancy outcome; T2: Six weeks following the second pregnancy outcome; T3: Six months following the second pregnancy outcome and T4: Twelve months following the second pregnancy outcome).

RESULTS

The primary findings of the study demonstrated a significant mitigation effect with a decrease in perinatal grief over time. As predicted, couples who experienced a second miscarriage reported elevated perinatal grief; compared to couples who went on to have a successful live birth.

CONCLUSION

The present study's findings contribute to our knowledge of the long-term implications of miscarriage and its influence on psychological health in terms of perinatal grief.

Women's Experiences of Miscarriage in the Emergency Department

INTRODUCTION

Miscarriage is a common event, usually managed in the emergency department. Although studies have examined the impact of miscarriage on women's mental health and the effects of their dissatisfaction with health care received, little is known about the characteristics of the miscarriage experience in the emergency department. The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of care management that may have contributed to the difficulties experienced by women presenting with miscarriage in the emergency department.

METHODS

Forty-eight women treated at 4 emergency departments in different regions of Quebec, Canada, were interviewed for 60 to 90 minutes. A thematic qualitative analysis of these interviews was performed.

RESULTS

Analyses revealed that participants' experiences were characterized particularly by a lack of information at 3 critical junctures of the miscarriage experience: the announcement of the miscarriage, the course of the miscarriage, and the ED discharge. The topics on which the women lacked information were categorized into 7 subthemes within these junctures.

DISCUSSION

Lack of information throughout the care management of miscarriage exacerbated the already-difficult nature of this event for the participants. Training emergency nurses to give adequate and complete information enables the delivery of compassionate care, potentially making a difficult situation less traumatic.

Women's experiences with early pregnancy loss in the emergency room: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To understand the reasons why women present to the Emergency Room (ER) for Early Pregnancy Loss (EPL)-related care, how they perceive care and counseling there, and their overall experience during and after their visit.

STUDY DESIGN

This qualitative study utilized semi-structured telephone interviews. Participants were recruited in a large urban ER; women who experienced EPL were interviewed by telephone about their experiences 1-3 weeks after their visit. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded by two independent coders.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews without the use of formal outcome measurement tools.

RESULTS

Of the sixty-seven women recruited, ten completed the full telephone interview. Interview participants' responses were grouped into four categories: Feelings about EPL, reasons for going to the ER, experience in the ER, and experience after leaving the ER. Women had mixed feelings about their ER experiences; many reported chaos, lack of information or lack of emotional support, while a few felt informed and supported. Many did not know much about EPL before their experience.

CONCLUSIONS

ER care for women experiencing suspected or confirmed EPL may not be addressing the emotional needs and knowledge gaps of women. Patient education, emotional support, and clear plans for outpatient follow up are critical. Further research is needed to guide interventions to improve care.