This is a national survey of UK obstetric trainees and consultant labour ward leads designed to investigate current practice and training for impacted fetal head (IFH) at caesarean section (CS). An anonymous, on-line survey was disseminated to trainees via Postgraduate Schools and RCOG trainee representatives, and to labour ward leads via their national network. 345 are using techniques which have not been investigated and are not recommended for managing an IFH. Moreover, this survey is an eye-opener as to the paucity of training, highlighting that UK obstetric trainees are not adequately prepared to manage this emergency.
What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and further research?There is a pressing need to standardize the definition, guidance and training for IFH at CS. Further research should clarify appropriate techniques for IFH and establish consensus for best practice. An evidence-based simulation training package, which allows clinicians to learn and practice recognized disimpaction techniques is urgently required.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.