Emergent versus planned delivery in patients with placenta accreta spectrum disorders: A retrospective study

The aim of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes and to identify risk factors for emergent cesarean delivery and planned cesarean delivery in patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders in Vietnam. The medical records of patients admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of PAS disorders >5 years were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 255 patients with PAS disorders were identified, including 95 cases in the emergent delivery group and 160 cases in the planned delivery group. The percentage of complete/partial placenta previa in the planned delivery group was significantly higher than that in the emergent delivery group (59.22% vs 32.16%, P = .027). Fewer patients in the planned group had vaginal bleeding compared with those in the emergent group (29 vs 36 cases, P < .001). The percentage of blood transfusion was similar between the 2 groups; however, the transfused units of pack red blood cells were greater in the emergent delivery group (5.3 ± 0.33 vs 4.5 ± 0.25 U, P = .036). When considering the neonatal outcomes, the data demonstrated that the planned delivery group had a significantly higher birth weight and a lower rate of preterm delivery than the emergent group (P < .001). The mean gestational age at delivery for the emergent group was 35.1 ± 0.27 weeks compared with 38.0 ± 0.10 weeks for the planned group (P < .001). The increased risk factors for emergent delivery were vaginal bleeding (odds ratio 2.86, 95% confidence interval 1.59–5.26) and preterm delivery (odds ratio 5.26, 95% confidence interval 2.13–14.29). Planned delivery is strongly associated with a lower need for blood transfusion and better neonatal outcomes compared with emergent delivery. Antenatal vaginal bleeding and preterm labor are risk factors for emergent delivery among patients with PAS disorders. Based on the results of this study, we recommend that the management strategies for patients with PAS disorders should be individualized to determine the optimal timing of delivery and to decrease the rate of emergent cesarean delivery.