Bilateral adrenalectomy in CAH appears to be a reasonable therapeutic option in carefully selected patients who have had unsatisfactory outcomes with conventional medical management.
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Background: Many women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy do not receive care during and after pregnancy according to standards recommended in international guidelines. The burden of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy falls disproportionately upon Indigenous peoples worldwide, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia. The remote and regional Australian context poses additional barriers to delivering healthcare, including high staff turnover and a socially disadvantaged population with a high prevalence of diabetes.
Objective
To identify successes to date and opportunities for improvement in the implementation of a complex health systems intervention aiming to improve prenatal and postpartum care and health outcomes for women with hyperglycemia in pregnancy in regional and remote Australia.
Methods
A qualitative evaluation, underpinned by the RE‐AIM framework (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance), was conducted mid‐intervention. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with the participants, who included clinicians, regional policymakers and managers, and study implementation staff.
Results
Interviewees (n = 45) reported that the early phase of the intervention had resulted in the establishment of a clinician network, increased clinician awareness of hyperglycemia in pregnancy, and improvements in management, including earlier referral for specialist care and a focus on improving communication with women. Enablers of implementation included existing relationships with stakeholders and alignment of the intervention with health service priorities. Challenges included engaging remote clinicians and the labor‐intensive nature of maintaining a clinical register of women with hyperglycemia in pregnancy.
Conclusion
The early phase of this health systems intervention has had a positive perceived impact on systems of care for women with hyperglycemia in pregnancy. Findings have informed modifications to the intervention, including the development of a communication and engagement strategy.
Background: Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy contributes to adverse outcomes for women and their children. The postpartum period is an opportune time to support women to reduce cardiometabolic and diabetes risk in subsequent pregnancies. Aims: To identify strengths and gaps in current care for Aboriginal women after a pregnancy complicated by hyperglycaemia. Methods: A retrospective review of the 12 month postpartum care provided by primary health centres in remote Australia in 2013-2014 identified 195 women who experienced hyperglycaemia in pregnancy (gestational diabetes (GDM) (n = 147), type 2 diabetes (T2D) (n = 39), and unclear diabetes status (n = 9)). Results: Only 80 women (54%) with GDM had postpartum glycaemic checks. Of these, 32 women were diagnosed with prediabetes (n = 24) or diabetes (n = 8). Compared to women with GDM, women with T2D were more likely to have their weight measured (75% vs. 52%, p <0.01), and smoking status documented as "discussed" (65% vs. 34%, p < 0.01). Most women (97%) accessed the health centre at least once in the 12 month postpartum period but, during these visits, only 52% of women had service provision, either structured or opportunistic, related to diabetes. Conclusion: High rates of dysglycaemia among women screened for T2D after GDM in the 12 month postpartum period highlight the need for increased screening and early intervention to prevent the development of T2D and its complications. Whilst a clear strength was high postpartum attendance, many women did not attend health services for diabetes screening or management.
Introduction: While transient parathyroid insufficiency is not an uncommon complication of thyroidectomy, severe and prolonged hypocalcemia attributed to a combination of post-surgical hypoparathyroidism, hungry bone syndrome (HBS) and hypovitaminosis D is unusual.
Clinical Case: A 17-year-old female from a remote community in Australia with Graves’ disease, complicated by exophthalmos and atrial flutter, underwent total thyroidectomy due to challenges with medication adherence leading to persistent thyrotoxicosis. FT4 was >150 pmol/L (normal 10–20 pmol/L) almost two years after diagnosis. Pre-operatively, she received Lugol’s iodine, carbimazole and beta-blockade. The operation was uncomplicated and three parathyroid glands were preserved. Within six hours of thyroidectomy, she developed symptomatic hypocalcemia with corrected calcium 1.9 mmol/L (7.6 mg/dL) (normal 2.2–2.65 mmol/L). PTH level was 0.8 pmol/L (normal 1.4–9.0 pmol/L). Magnesium and phosphate levels were initially normal but hyperphosphatemia developed the following day. 25-OH vitamin D was low (29 nmol/L, normal 50–150 nmol/L) and was corrected with high dose cholecalciferol.
Despite use of continuous intravenous calcium gluconate in addition to oral calcium carbonate, as well as both intravenous and oral calcitriol and magnesium, urinary calcium excretion remained undetectable. Teriparatide 20 mcg BD was commenced on post-operative day 14 with no demonstrable improvement in serum calcium. Less than 48 hours after cessation of parenteral calcium on day 18 post-operation, corrected calcium and ionised calcium declined to 1.47 mmol/L (5.9 mg/dL) and 0.46 mmol/L (normal 1.15–1.33 mmol/L) respectively, prompting recommencement of calcium infusion.
Her remarkably high requirement for calcium replacement with negligible urinary calcium excretion for at least one month in spite of parenteral calcium infusion for a total of three weeks’ duration is highly suggestive of HBS which became evident due to post-surgical hypoparathyroidism. She had elevated ALP (618 U/L, normal 35–140 U/L) and increased bone resorption marker (N-telopeptide/creatinine 262 nmol BCE/mmol, normal <100 nmol BCE/mmol), with osteopenia at lumbar spine (Z-score -1.7) and femur (Z-score -1.3). Additionally, vitamin D deficiency is likely to have contributed to the severity of hypocalcemia.
60 days after surgery, she was still requiring calcium carbonate 2500 mg QID (4 g/day elemental calcium) and calcitriol 1 mcg TDS. Her phosphate level had normalised and ALP gradually declined to 241 U/L.
Clinical Lesson: This case highlights the importance of attaining euthyroid status as early as possible pre-operatively to allow near-complete reversal of thyrotoxicosis-induced osteodystrophy, as indicated by normalisation of serum ALP, and ensuring vitamin D levels are replete prior to thyroidectomy for Graves’ disease.
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