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Minimizing the Risk of Infection and Bleeding at Trans-Vaginal Ultrasound-Guided Ovum Pick-up: Results of a Prospective Web-Based World-Wide Survey

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Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to identify clinical practices worldwide, which would help in recognizing women at risk of excessive bleeding or of developing pelvic infection following trans-vaginal ovum pick-up (TV-OPU), measures taken to minimize risks and their management.

Method

A prospective, web-based questionnaire with distinct questions related to the practice of TV-OPU.

Results

A total of 155 units from 55 countries performing 97,200 IVF cycles annually responded to this web-based survey. A majority (65 %) responded that they would routinely carry out full blood count, while 35 % performed coagulation profile. Less than a third agreed screening women for vaginal infections. About a third used both sterile water and antiseptic to minimize ascending infection, and 52 % used antibiotics for prophylaxis. Doppler ultrasound was routinely used by 20 % of clinicians. 73 % of the clinicians preferred conservative management as their first line management for patients diagnosed with intra-abdominal bleeding.

Conclusion

The study has identified a wide variation in the practices of minimizing infection and bleeding complications. The dearth of good quality evidence may be responsible for the lack of published guidelines, and therefore a lack of consensus on the optimum practice for minimizing the risk of infection and bleeding during TV-OPU.

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Compliance with ethical requirements and Conflict of interest statement

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects. The survey does not involve human subject research and hence a formal Institutional Review Body approval was not obtained. The study was available as an open-access questionnaire to the members of the IVFWorldwide.com who voluntarily answered the study questions, and the data collected for this research were anonymous. The study does not involve the use of laboratory animals. The authors, Dr. Harish Bhandari, Dr. Rina Agrawal, Dr. Ariel Weissman, Mr. Gon Shoham, Prof. Milton Leong, and Prof. Zeev Shoham declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV2 2DX, UK

    Harish Bhandari (Clinical Research Fellow) & Rina Agrawal (Consultant Specialist & Honorary Associate Professor in Reproductive Medicine / Obstetrics & Gynaecology)

  2. The University of Warwick, Coventry, Warwickshire, UK

    Harish Bhandari (Clinical Research Fellow) & Rina Agrawal (Consultant Specialist & Honorary Associate Professor in Reproductive Medicine / Obstetrics & Gynaecology)

  3. IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel

    Ariel Weissman (Associate Professor and Senior Physician)

  4. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Ariel Weissman (Associate Professor and Senior Physician)

  5. Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Gon Shoham (Medical Director of the IVF Centre)

  6. IVF Center, The Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, China

    Milton Leong (Medical Director of the IVF Centre)

  7. The Reproductive Medicine Unit, Kaplan Medicine Center, Rehovot, Israel

    Zeev Shoham (Medical Director of the IVF Unit)

  8. Hadassah Medical School, Affiliated to the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Zeev Shoham (Medical Director of the IVF Unit)

Authors
  1. Harish Bhandari
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  2. Rina Agrawal
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  3. Ariel Weissman
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  4. Gon Shoham
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  5. Milton Leong
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  6. Zeev Shoham
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harish Bhandari.

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Bhandari, H., Agrawal, R., Weissman, A. et al. Minimizing the Risk of Infection and Bleeding at Trans-Vaginal Ultrasound-Guided Ovum Pick-up: Results of a Prospective Web-Based World-Wide Survey. J Obstet Gynecol India 65, 389–395 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13224-014-0619-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13224-014-0619-z

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