Serum Fructosamine and Glycosylated Hemoglobin in Monitoring the Glycemic Control in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus complicates 1%-2% of all pregnancies, and associates with high perinatal morbidity. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is treatable condition, and women who have adequate glycemic control during pregnancy can effectively decrease the adverse outcomes of GDM. Objectives: This study was designed to compare the serum fructosamine, and the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), in monitoring the glycemic control in GDM. Patients and Methods: 1516 women with GDM included, and were advised for dietary modification to achieve proper glycemic control. If the target glucose levels were not reached by the diet regimen or by the dietary modification, insulin was prescribed for the studied women. The average values of the pre- and post-prandial glucose levels were calculated, and the insulin doses were adjusted to achieve the target glucose values during the antenatal visits. HbA1c, and fructosamine were measured to assess the glycemic control for the studied women. Results: The fructosamine, and the HbA1c were significantly high in the uncontrolled GDM compared to controlled group, and there was positive significant correlation between fractuosamine, and HbA1c in monitoring the glycemic control in GDM (r = 0.93, and P = 0.001). The Odds ratio (OR), and relative risk (RR) analysis for the current pregnancy outcome showed that the polyhydramnios (OR 3.8;RR 3.7), the cesarean delivery (OR 1.7;RR 1.4), the fetal macrosomia (OR 6.4;RR 6.3), the fetal anomalies (OR 6.5;RR 6.4), and the (IUFD) intrauterine fetal death (OR 8.7;RR 8.6) were significantly high in uncontrolled GDM group. In addition, the (NND) neonatal death (OR 11.6;RR 11.4), the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (OR 3.1;RR 2.9), the neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (OR 3.7;RR 3.6), the transient tachypnea of the newborn (OR 3.1;RR 2.9), and the neonatal hypoglycemia (OR 3.5;RR 3.4) were significantly high in uncontrolled GDM group. Conclusion: Fructosamine assay is simple, reliable, useful indicator for the glycemic control in GDM over the last 2 - 3 weeks, and poor glycemic control in GDM increases the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Diagnostic Accuracy of PremaQuick versus Actim Partus in Prediction of Preterm Labor in Symptomatic Women within 14 Days

Background: Preterm labor (PTL) remains a major source of neonatal morbidity, and mortality. Currently the trans-vaginal cervical length (TVCL), and/or cervico-vaginal fetal fibronectin (fFN) are the common diagnostic tools used for prediction of PTL. Consequently, many women and their fetuses are exposed unnecessarily tocolysis and hospital admission. Objectives: This study was designed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of PremaQuick versus Actim Partus in prediction of PTL in symptomatic women within 14 days. Patients and Methods: Two-hundred and twenty women (220) were included in this comparative prospective study and classified into two groups: 110 women with threatened preterm labor (TPTL) in the study group, and 110 controls (no TPTL). Women included in the study were subjected to: through history, collection of the cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) samples for assessment by PremaQuick and Actim Partus tests, followed by trans-vaginal cervical length (TVCL) assessment. Studied women managed according to the hospitals protocol, with follow-up weekly in the obstetrics outpatients’ clinic after discharge from the hospital until delivery. The main outcome measures the diagnostic accuracy of PremaQuick versus Actim Partus in prediction of PTL in symptomatic women within 14 days of admission. Results: PremaQuick test was significantly more specific with higher positive predictive value (PPV) in prediction of PTL in symptomatic women within 14 days (95.5% and 89.6%;respectively) compared to CL 25 mm (56.3% and 54.6%;respectively), (P = 0.02 and 0.03;respectively). In addition, PremaQuick test was significantly more sensitive with higher positive predictive value (PPV) in prediction of PTL in symptomatic women within 14 days (39.8% and 89.6%;respectively) compared to Actim Partus (13.9% and 55.5%;respectively), (P = 0.001 and 0.01;respectively). The Odds ratio and the relative risk for prediction of PTL in symptomatic women within 14 days were significantly high for PremaQuick compared to the CL 25 mm, and Actim Partus. Conclusion: PremaQuick test seems to be the best complementary test to the CL 25 in prediction of PTL in symptomatic women within 14 days. PremaQuick test compensates the low specificity and low PPV of the CL 25 mm in prediction of PTL.