In vitro, amnion epithelial cell exosomes lead to an increased inflammatory response in maternal uterine cells whereas placental cells showed refractoriness. Fetal cell exosomes may function to signal parturition by increasing maternal gestational cell inflammation.

Parturition at term is characterized by inflammatory overload in both feto-maternal tissues. Despite the large number of individual studies on changes in inflammatory biomarkers linked to labor, a comprehensive profile of them in each of the uterine compartments is not available to better understand their mechanistic contributions to labor. This systematic review investigated the pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers reported in intra-uterine tissues (amnion, chorion, decidua, placenta, and myometrium) at term labor. We conducted a systematic review of studies on pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers (mRNA and/or protein) reported in feto-maternal tissues during normal human term labor, published in English (1980-2016), in 3 electronic data bases. From a total of 3712 citations, 172 were included for final review. Each tissue expresses a unique set of biomarkers at the time of term labor, but there is significant overlap between tissues. All tissues had IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, COX-2, PGE-2, TNF-α, and hCAP18 in common at term labor. Common and unique inflammatory biomarkers are expressed in various feto-maternal compartments at term labor. Increase in pro-inflammatory markers in all gestational tissue signifies their harmonious functional role in promoting labor. Anti-inflammatory markers at term labor are hardly reported.

Maternal obesity is a risk factor for chorioamnionitis prior to labor onset. Future studies will determine if obesity is important enough to change the management of latency after pPROM according to maternal BMI.

Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk.

Objective Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative multimodal pain management in reducing opioid use after elective cesarean delivery (CD). Study Design A single-center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial of women undergoing elective CD. Participants were allocated 1:1 to receive the multimodal protocol or matching placebos. The multimodal protocol consisted of a preoperative dose of intravenous acetaminophen, preincision injection of subcutaneous bupivacaine, and intraoperative injection of intramuscular ketorolac. Primary outcome was total opioid intake at 48 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain scores, time to first opioid intake, neonatal outcomes, and total outpatient opioid intake on postoperative day (POD) 7. Data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests and quantile regression as appropriate. Results A total of 242 women were screened with 120 randomized, 60 to the multimodal group and 60 to control group. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome of opioid use nor in the secondary outcomes. Smokers and patients with a history of drug use had higher median postoperative opiate use and earlier administration. On POD 7, only 40% of prescribed opioids had been used, and there was no difference between the groups. Conclusion This perioperative multimodal pain regimen did not reduce opioid use in 48 hours after CD. Patients who smoke or with a history of drug use required more opioids in the postoperative period. Providers significantly overprescribed opioids after CD.