WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Pulse oximetry screening at 24 hours of age improves detection of critical congenital heart disease in asymptomatic newborns. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This study describes an initial experience with pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart disease and provides a strategy for preparing for state implementation of recent federal newborn screening recommendations. abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of preparedness and resources needed in Minnesota for the implementation of newborn screening for critical congenital heart diseases (CCHDs). METHODS:A cross sectional survey of all birth centers in Minnesota was performed to assess the capacity to deliver care essential for the CCHD screening program. Compliance with the screening algorithm, nursing workload, and cost were assessed by using a pilot program implemented in 6 normal newborn nurseries.RESULTS: Ninety-one of 99 eligible centers participated in the survey and 90 reported the ability to screen newborns in accordance with recommendations. Only 22 centers, with 63% of births, had access to echocardiography and routinely stocked prostaglandins for neonatal use. Our pilot study screened 7549 newborns with 6 failed screens and 1 CCHD diagnosis. Two of the failed screens were due to misinterpretation of the algorithm, 1 failed screen was not reported, and 4 failed screens were not recognized. Repeated screens were required for 115 newborns, with 29% of retesting due to misinterpretation of the algorithm. The mean nursing time required was 5.5 minutes, and the cost was $5.10 per screen. CONCLUSIONS:In Minnesota, two-thirds of newborns are born in centers with resources for initial diagnosis and management of CCHD. Implementation of a pilot screening program demonstrated minimal increase in nursing workload, but identified problems with interpretation of the algorithm and data reporting. This pilot project suggests the need for simplification of the algorithm, additional training of health care providers, and development of a centralized reporting mechanism. Pediatrics 2013;132:e587-e594

Background: Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Research has identified that women are less likely than men to receive medical interventions for the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Methods and Results: As part of a campaign to educate healthcare professionals, 1245 healthcare professionals in 11 states attended a structured 1-hour continuing medical education (CME) program based on the 2004 AHA Evidence-Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women and completed a pretest and posttest evaluation. We identified significant knowledge deficits in the pretest: 45% of attendees would initially recommend lifestyle changes alone, rather than statin therapy, for women diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD); 38% identified statin therapy as less effective in women compared with men for preventing CAD events; 27% identified Asian American women at low risk (rather than high risk) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM); and 21% identified processed meat (rather than baked goods) as the principal dietary source of trans fatty acids. Overall, healthcare professionals answered 5.1 of 8 knowledge questions correctly in the pretest, improving to 6.8 questions in the posttest ( p < 0.001). Family physicians, obstetrician=gynecologists, general internists, nurse practitioners=physician assistants, and registered nurses all statistically significantly improved knowledge and self-assessed skills and attitudes as measured by the posttest. Conclusions: Significant knowledge deficits are apparent in a cross-section of healthcare providers attending a CME lecture on women and heart disease. A 1-hour presentation was successful in improving knowledge and self-assessed skills and attitudes among primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses.

Primary cesarean birth increases a woman's risk for hemorrhage, infection, pain, and cesarean births with subsequent pregnancies. A woman may experience difficulties with breastfeeding, bonding, and incorporating the newborn into the family structure. One urban, academic hospital in the Midwest participated in the American College of Nurse-Midwives Healthy Birth Initiative: Reducing Primary Cesarean Births Project. The project purpose was to reduce the rate of cesarean births in nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex pregnancies. Strategies employed included use of intermittent auscultation, upright labor positioning, early labor lounge, one-to-one labor support, and team huddles. The baseline nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean rate in 2015 was 29.3%. In 2016, after 1 year of implementation of the project, the hospital decreased nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean rate to 26.1%—a reduction of 10%. In 2017, the rate was decreased to 25.3%—a reduction by 3.7%.