We propose several new statistical methods for assessing the presence and sources of small area variations in physician practice. Applying these methods to the choice of caesarian versus vaginal delivery in Florida, we show that half of the observed variation in regional practice is a statistical artifact resulting from variation in individual physician practice styles. The remaining half is du...

We report the case of a woman in the third trimester of pregnancy who sustained an ankle fracture dislocation that could not be adequately closed reduced. After discussions with the patient, her obstetrician, and the anesthesiologists, she was indicated for surgical fixation. A heart tone monitor was used to assess fetal health during the procedure. During surgical incision, the fetus went into...

Spontaneous septostomy in a monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy is a rare phenomenon. We present a case of monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy with an intact dividing membrane seen in the 1st half of the pregnancy. At 26 weeks, when she was assessed for preterm contractions, the dividing membrane was not documented, which suggested spontaneous septostomy. There had been no invasive proc...

A 25 year-old female with a history of Caesarian section ten weeks ago presented with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary embolism. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a free-floating large thrombus traversing the right atrial cavity. Transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the presence of an unattached thrombus that originated from the most proximal part of the inferior vena cava. Multi-sl...

The incidence of birth injuries has decreased considerably because of the identification of risk factors at an earlier stage and taking the decision for caesarian section (LSCS) at proper time. Fractures, nerve palsies and central nervous system injuries comprise the majority of "birth injuries." In this study, we report a newborn that had a birth injury during LSCS. The baby sustained a penetr...