title: Evaluation of risk factors can help to predict preterm delivery within 7 days in women hospitalized for threatened preterm labour.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The ability to predict birth within 7 days of enrolment in women hospitalized for threatened preterm labour is essential for a proper decision to introduce corticosteroids for the treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 622 women hospitalized due threatened preterm labour. Eighteen risk factors were analysed. The predictive value for accumulation of studied risk factors was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and dimension-based models of assessment methods: (i) forward stepwise selection (conditional), (ii) forward stepwise selection (Wald) and (iii) backward stepwise elimination (conditional).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The accumulation of five and above risk factors gives specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of diagnosis preterm delivery within 7 days of enrolment approaching 100% (99 and 98, respectively). The predictive value for studied risk factors enabled establishing the following order for risk factors significance: (i) cigarette smoking before pregnancy; (ii) low socioeconomic status; (iii) frequent contractions during pregnancy; (iv) bleeding during pregnancy; (v) urinary tract infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women hospitalized for threatened preterm labour, the accumulation of five risk factors of preterm delivery predicts preterm delivery within 7 days of enrolment. That makes easier decision to introduce corticosteroids for the treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Obstetric and Emergency Medicine, University of Rzeszow , Zurawica , Poland and.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raba
authors.affiliation: b I Clinic of Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin , Lublin , Poland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kotarski
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones
keywords: Preterm delivery; risk factors; threatened preterm labour