Objective- To assess the potential effect of Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) on placental perfusion by examining change in uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) between first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Design- It was a prospective observational study conducted between August 2017 to January 2019. Setting- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. Study Sample- Twenty-one singleton pregnancies where CVS was planned were included in the case group whereas forty-two low-risk singleton pregnancies with no invasive testing constituted the control group. Pregnancy resulting in miscarriage or, termination of pregnancy for affected fetus, or demise of fetus beyond 23 weeks or subsequent detection of anomaly or chromosomal defects were excluded. Methods- Dating scan along with first and second trimester UtA doppler study was done at 11-13+6 weeks and 22-24+6 weeks respectively using an ultrasound machine with 2-5 MHz trans-abdominal transducer. Main Outcome Measures- The primary outcome was to evaluate the change in UtA-PI between first and second trimesters of women undergoing CVS and comparing it with control group. Results- The difference between first and second trimester mean PI of case and control group were 0.71± 0.35 and 0.44± 0.45 respectively. This difference of fall in PI between the two groups was statistically significant (p= 0.010) with the change being higher in the CVS group. Conclusions- CVS does not cause undesirable effect on the UtA doppler. UtA doppler being a predictive marker of development of pre-eclampsia or FGR; this study affirms the safety of CVS in experienced hands.

Introduction Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 from Alpha to Omicron have an estimated 6.1 million deaths globally till date. However, variants have been found to vary in transmissibility and severity. The present study deals with comparison of morbidity and mortality with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants. Methods An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted on a cohort of laboratory confirmed patients of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed by qRT-PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs in periods; April-2021 & January-2022; that were sequenced and variants were recorded. Patients were invited for a telephonic interview after voluntary and informed consent was obtained from each participant wherein, the demographics, co-morbidities, oxygen requirement and mortality outcomes of the patients were enquired about. Results A total of 200 patients, with 100 from each period were included in the study. Major comorbidities in patients included hypertension, diabetes mellitus and pulmonary disease. Patients who succumbed to the Delta variant (26%) were higher as compared to the Omicron variant (10%); with the elderly (68 ± 9.7 years) having mortality during the Omicron variant. A significantly increased risk for mortality was observed in comorbidities in both Delta and Omicron variants with hypertension (OR:1.3;5.44), diabetes mellitus (OR:0.99;1.94), chronic pulmonary disease (OR:1.6;2.25), chronic kidney disease (OR:3.18;0.89), and smoking (OR:1.74;1.55). Conclusion The study concluded that the Omicron has potential of high transmissibility and milder disease for the population by large, however, it is not a milder strain for patients with comorbidities having a higher risk of adverse outcomes than that of the previously dominant Delta variant.