Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2013, 3, 126-129 OJOG doi:10.4236/ojog.2013.31024 Published Online January 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ojog/) The association of fFN testing on hospital admissions for * preterm labor Shilpa Iyer#, Thomas McElrath, Petr Jarolim, James Greenberg Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA Email: #
[email protected] Received 5 November 2012; revised 7 December 2012; accepted 16 December 2012 ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Objective: To determine if the use of fetal fibronectin Preterm births continue to be the leading cause of infant (fFN) testing has affected hospital admissions for pre- mortality in the United States. While the infant mortality term labor. Methods: ICD-9 and CPT codes from all rate has plateaued from 2000 until the present, the per- admissions to Brigham & Women’s Hospital between centage of preterm births has increased. In 2005, 68.6% January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2010 were evaluated. of infant deaths were in preterm infants, an increase from Data recorded included total deliveries, admissions 65.6% in 2000 [1]. Along with increased rates in prema- for preterm labor (PTL) without delivery, length of turity, the cost of health care continued to skyrocket from stay (days) for PTL admissions, preterm deliveries, 2000 to 2005, and continues to increase today. In 2008, and number of fFN tests performed. The data was health care spending accounted for 16.2% of the United evaluated using a Wilcoxon test of trend and least States Gross Domestic Product, surpassing 2.3 trillion squares regression. Results: Fetal fibronectin testing dollars.