Women’s Health CME News Series, Volume 2
An accredited activity featuring five topics from
Reuters Health • The Doctor’s Channel Daily Newscast

Please review the following educational objectives, read each of the five articles included in this activity, and watch the activity video. Participating fully in all five topics is required in order to obtain .25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 | Article 4 | Article 5
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Article 1: Progesterone does not prolong pregnancy after PPROM

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Weekly progesterone given to women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) does not extend gestation and cannot be recommended, researchers report in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology online September 23.

Dr. John C. Morrison at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, and colleagues point out that progesterone has been shown to reduce the risk of preterm deliveries in women with a prior history of preterm birth and in those with a short cervix. That prompted them to test the strategy for women with PPROM.

The investigators randomized 69 such women to weekly injections of 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17P) or placebo injections, continued until 34 weeks or delivery, whichever came first.

The primary study outcome was the interval from study entry to delivery. In the 17P group this was 11.2 days compared with 14.5 days in the placebo group (p=0.25).

Neonatal outcomes were also similar in the 17P and placebo groups, in terms of birthweight (1216 vs 1396 grams, respectively; p=0.15), rates of morbidity (73% vs 78%), NICU stay (36.4 vs 37.0 days; p=0.82) and intrauterine or neonatal deaths (4 vs 3).

Dr. Morrison and colleagues conclude,