Abstract
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of appropriate placental examinations in a university hospital.
Methods
A retrospective review of all deliveries and all placentas submitted for pathologic examination from live births. Placentas were reviewed by a perinatal pathologist to determine whether they met the College of American Pathologists (CAP)-recommended guidelines for examination.
Results
We used 1346 deliveries between July 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010 as the basis of this review. According to CAP guidelines, 703 placentas (52.2%) should have been sent for pathologic examination; 575/703 (81.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 78.9–84.7) were actually sent for examination. Of the 643 placentas that did not need to be examined per CAP guidelines, 568 (88.3%; 95% CI = 85.9–90.8) were appropriately not sent. In comparing the three categories of indications for examination (maternal, fetal/neonatal, placental), the only significant association was that women with fetal/neonatal indications were more likely to have their placenta sent than women with maternal indications (odds ratio, 2.63; 95% CI = 1.81–3.80).
Conclusion
In this university hospital, more than 80% of the time, placentas were appropriately sent to pathology, and more than 85% of the time, placentas that should not have been sent for evaluation were not sent.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Donna Eastham, BA, for her editorial work on this manuscript.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.