Cordocentesis (funipuncture) by maternal-fetal fellows: the learning curve.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-1991

Abstract

One hundred cordocenteses were attempted at the University of Mississippi Medical Center between July 1, 1989, and June 1, 1991. There were 1.3 attempts for each successful umbilical blood sampling. The overall success rate was 94%. The first-year fellows-in-training attempted 61 procedures with a 90.2% success rate within two attempts and an overall success rate of 95.1%. Second-year fellows attempted 32 procedures with a 93.8% success rate within two attempts and an overall success rate of 93.8%. Procedure-related complications included five episodes of fetal bradycardia (one resulting in a stillbirth at 20 weeks) and a single case of chorioamnionitis. Of the three perinatal deaths, two were associated with severe congenital anomalies resulting in a corrected procedure-related mortality rate of 1%. The morbidity and mortality associated with cordocentesis appears to be relatively low and fellows-in-training can perform such procedures with no apparent increase in complications if appropriately supervised.

Volume

6

Issue

1-2

First Page

87

Last Page

92

ISSN

1015-3837

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

1768351

Department(s)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Document Type

Article

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