title: Does fetal fibronectin testing change patient management in women at risk of preterm labour?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine clinicians' indications for, and actions following, fetal fibronectin testing in both symptomatic and asymptomatic women between 23(+0) and 34(+6) weeks' gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following clinician education of the predictive ability of fetal fibronectin testing, results of all fetal fibronectin tests done at St Thomas' Hospital over a 6-week period were analysed. Clinicians were asked if the result changed management and if a reciprocal result would have altered management.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-seven fetal fibronectin tests were conducted of which 21 (22%) were positive. Follow-up was done for 91 tests of which 25 (28%) test results directly changed management; 81 (89%) test results had the potential to change management independent of the test result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of fetal fibronectin testing directly influenced management in a significant number of patients. A large number of women were asymptomatic at testing. Fetal fibronectin testing could be offered more widely and has the potential to benefit patient management.
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Fetal Research Unit, King's College London, Division of Reproduction and Endocrinology, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom. lauren.bolt@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Lauren A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bolt
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chandiramani
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Greeff
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seed
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Shennan
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000639:trends*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000378:metabolism; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005353:Fibronectins