SpainFertility

Determining the tolerability of hysterosalpingocontrast sonography in infertile women.

An Italian study suggests that hysterosalpingocontrast sonography (HyCoSy) is well tolerated by infertile women and has a low rate of side effects.

The introduction of HyCoSy has enabled the evaluation of uterine and ovarian conditions and tubal patency without exposing the patient to radiation, say the researchers.

Noting that there is, however, scant information on its tolerability, side effects, and complications, the team studied a large series of women consecutively undergoing HyCoSy at a tertiary infertility clinic.

Of 660 women examined, 483 completed telephone follow-up a mean of 14.7 months after the procedure. Mean patient age was 34.5 years and mean duration of infertility was 28.1 months.

Mean pain rating was 2.7 on a 0 to 10 scale, and 2.0 percent of patients required post-procedural drugs for pain relief. Mild vasovagal reactions were experienced by 4.1 percent of women.

Less than one percent of patients suffered severe vasovagal reactions. No late complications were reported, and no patient required hospital admission after the procedure.

Luca Savelli and co-workers at the University of Bologna conclude that HyCoSy is well accepted and “can be chosen as a first-level evaluation of tubal patency and uterine cavity morphology in infertile patients.”
Orgym.com

Starting in January 2009, Springer will publish the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (JARG) in cooperation with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). A Springer journal since 1984, JARG will gain not only a new sponsoring society in the ASRM, but also a new design, new features, and new editor-in-chief. Members of the ASRM will receive free access to the journal online, and be able to purchase print subscriptions at discounted rates.

The Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics focuses on basic research in the science of assisted reproduction. It publishes original contributions and review articles covering human and animal data relevant to the process of in vitro fertilization and embryo replacement. Leading experts present the latest advances in a variety of topics, including assisted reproductive technologies, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures affecting the treatment of infertility, genetics of early gestation, laboratory sciences affecting the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, pharmacology and technology of assisted reproduction, and regulatory issues. A new editor-in-chief of the journal, drawn from the Society’s ranks, will be appointed shortly.

“Springer’s journal JARG, in conjunction with our existing publications, will significantly enhance our Society’s ability to bring scientific advances in reproduction and genetics to our members,” said ASRM President David Adamson, MD.

Henk van der Rijst, Executive Vice President, Life Sciences and Biomedicine at Springer, said, “We are very pleased to be partnering with such a prestigious society. Working together with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, we are looking forward to supporting the discussion on reproductive research.”

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, founded in 1944, is an organization of more than 8,000 physicians, researchers, nurses, technicians and other professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge and expertise in reproductive biology. Affiliated societies include the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons.

Springer is the second-largest publisher of journals in the science, technology, and medicine (STM) sector and the largest publisher of STM books. It publishes on behalf of more than 300 academic associations and professional societies. Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media, one of the world’s leading suppliers of scientific and specialist literature. The group publishes over 1,700 journals and more than 5,500 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook Collection worldwide. Springer has operations in over 20 countries in Europe, the USA, and Asia, and some 5,000 employees.
medicalnewstoday.com

Evaluating patient and fresh IVF cycle parameters that affect the outcome of later frozen-thawed embryo transfer.
The success of the fresh cycle and serum progesterone levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration predicts clinical pregnancy with sibling frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET), research shows.

“The outcome of the fresh cycle is the single most important clinical predictor of success of the sibling frozen embryos,” report Alex Polotsky (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA) and colleagues.

In this study, the researchers retrospectively analyzed patient characteristics and fresh IVF cycle parameters that influence the success of sibling FET cycles in infertile women.

In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the success of the fresh cycle and progesterone level on the day of hCG administration were independent and positive predictors for clinical pregnancy after FET.

FET cycles after fresh IVF cycles with serum progesterone levels in the highest tertile were 20 times more likely to result in a clinical pregnancy compared with those after fresh cycles with progesterone levels in the lowest tertile.

“The highly increased likelihood of pregnancy with FET after a successful fresh cycle merits strategic use of this information in selecting appropriate candidates for single-embryo transfer,” comment the researchers.
Orgyn.com

Examining the relationship between human chorionic gonadotropin levels and the success of medical treatment for ectopic pregnancy.

Researchers from Poland have identified a threshold for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels above which medical treatment of ectopic pregnancy is unlikely to be successful.

However, despite these findings, the investigators stress that the condition is complex and “each case of ectopic pregnancy must be considered individually” before deciding on the best course of treatment.

The team from Poznan University of Medical Science, led by Ewa Nowak-Markwitz, enrolled 68 patients with ectopic pregnancy who were administered 50 mg/m² of methotrexate every 7 days. Surgery was carried out in the case of tubal rupture or if beta-hCG levels increased by more than 50 percent.

Medical treatment was successful in 53 (78 percent) women. The median baseline beta-hCG level was significantly lower in these women than in those who required surgery, both at baseline (943 vs 3085 mIU/ml) and after the first methotrexate dose (564 vs 4049 mIU/ml).

Nowak-Markwitz et al calculate that an initial beta-hCG level of 1790 mIU/ml represented the cutoff value above which medical treatment was at risk for failure.

Nevertheless, given that the range of beta-hCG levels in the successfully treated group was very wide, the researchers recommend: “For the sake of clinical practice, we might suggest that methotrexate treatment is always worth trying, unless there are clear indications for surgical procedure.”