Towel Uterus Model for Uterine Compression Sutures Technical Skills Training: A Review of Literature and Development of a Performance Rubric

An online Delphi study to investigate the completeness of the CanMEDS Roles and the relevance, formulation, and measurability of their key competencies within eight healthcare disciplines in Flanders

BACKGROUND

Several competency frameworks are being developed to support competency-based education (CBE). In medical education, extensive literature exists about validated competency frameworks for example, the CanMEDS competency framework. In contrast, comparable literature is limited in nursing, midwifery, and allied health disciplines. Therefore, this study aims to investigate (1) the completeness of the CanMEDS Roles, and (2) the relevance, formulation, and measurability of the CanMEDS key competencies in nursing, midwifery, and allied health disciplines. If the competency framework is validated in different educational programs, opportunities to support CBE and interprofessional education/collaboration can be created.

METHODS

A three-round online Delphi study was conducted with respectively 42, 37, and 35 experts rating the Roles (n = 7) and key competencies (n = 27). These experts came from non-university healthcare disciplines in Flanders (Belgium): audiology, dental hygiene, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, podiatry, and speech therapy. Experts answered with yes/no (Roles) or on a Likert-type scale (key competencies). Agreement percentages were analyzed quantitatively whereby consensus was attained when 70% or more of the experts scored positively. In round one, experts could also add remarks which were qualitatively analyzed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

After round one, there was consensus about the completeness of all the Roles, the relevance of 25, the formulation of 24, and the measurability of eight key competencies. Afterwards, key competencies were clarified or modified based on experts' remarks by adding context-specific information and acknowledging the developmental aspect of key competencies. After round two, no additional key competencies were validated for the relevance criterion, two additional key competencies were validated for the formulation criterion, and 16 additional key competencies were validated for the measurability criterion. After adding enabling competencies in round three, consensus was reached about the measurability of one additional key competency resulting in the validation of the complete CanMEDS competency framework except for the measurability of two key competencies.

CONCLUSIONS

The CanMEDS competency framework can be seen as a grounding for competency-based healthcare education. Future research could build on the findings and focus on validating the enabling competencies in nursing, midwifery, and allied health disciplines possibly improving the measurability of key competencies.

A novel low uterine segment sandwich technique (Caliskan's technique) for the management of post-cesarean hemorrhage due to placenta previa accreta

Objective:

Placenta previa (PP) and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders are major causes of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). There is a variety of surgical management options with inexplicit reported success rates. Uterine sandwich is a combination of uterine compression sutures and intrauterine balloon placement to achieve hemostasis. The aim of this study was to present our experience of seven women managed with a novel “lower uterine sandwich” technique to control post-cesarean hemorrhage due to PP accreta.

Materials and Methods:

Seven pregnant women diagnosed as having PP totalis accreta underwent a post-cesarean procedure combining bilateral ligation of the uterine artery, utero-ovarian artery, and internal iliac artery, Pereira compression sutures implemented on the uterine isthmus, Foley catheter placement into the lower uterine segment, and transvaginal cervical cerclage application, namely “Caliskan’s uterine sandwich technique”.

Results:

All women included in this study had placental invasion abnormalities of varying degrees. Postoperative diffusion magnetic resonance imaging assessment revealed a completely normal and preserved uterine blood supply. All women menstruated regularly in their postoperative follow-up period and two women conceived again and delivered uneventfully. None of the patients experienced morbid complications nor required hysterectomy.

Conclusion:

This novel procedure appears to be a plausible fertility and organ-preserving option in cases of intractable PPH, particularly in lower uterine segment bleeding. This uterine sandwich technique may allow physicians to manage massive hemorrhage due to PAS conservatively by preserving the uterus and its functions without major complications.

Uterus Modeling from Cell to Organ Level: towards Better Understanding of Physiological Basis of Uterine Activity

The relatively limited understanding of the physiology of uterine activation prevents us from achieving optimal clinical outcomes for managing serious pregnancy disorders such as preterm birth or uterine dystocia. There is increasing awareness that multi-scale computational modeling of the uterus is a promising approach for providing a qualitative and quantitative description of uterine physiology. The overarching objective of such approach is to coalesce previously fragmentary information into a predictive and testable model of uterine activity that, in turn, informs the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these pressing clinical problems. This article assesses current progress towards this goal. We summarize the electrophysiological basis of uterine activation as presently understood and review recent research approaches to uterine modeling at different scales from single cell to tissue, whole organ and organism with particular focus on transformative data in the last decade. We describe the positives and limitations of these approaches, thereby identifying key gaps in our knowledge on which to focus, in parallel, future computational and biological research efforts.