title: Effect of macroscopic or microscopic blood and mucus on the success rates of embryo transfers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of microscopic and macroscopic contamination of embryo transfer (ET) catheters with blood or mucus on in vitro fertilization (IVF)-ET success rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infertility practice in teaching community hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred seventy patients undergoing IVF-ET.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and IVF-ET.
  
  
  METHODS
  Implantation rate (IR) and clinical pregnancy rate (CPR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IR and CPR of IVF-ETs were comparable regardless of the presence (26.59% and 48.78%, respectively) or absence (23.49% and 44.44%, respectively) of any type of contamination. Even when analyzing specific contamination categories (i.e., macroscopic blood, microscopic blood on the outer catheter, microscopic blood on the inner catheter, blood anywhere without mucus, mucus only, or blood and mucus combined), there was no statistical significance in IR (range: 21.17% to 26.69%) or CPR (range: 32.69% to 49.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, IR and CPR appear to be unaffected by ET catheter contamination, whether it is macroscopic or microscopic presence of blood or mucus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Abington Memorial Hospital, Abington, Pennsylvania 19001, USA. lbarmat@abington-repromed.com
authors.forename: Vasiliki A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Moragianni
authors.forename: Jerry D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Jay S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schinfeld
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Somkuti
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Larry I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Barmat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000379:methods; D018579:Patient Selection; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D004958:Estradiol