Research on abortion outside formal healthcare has focused primarily on self-sourced medication abortion (mifepristone and misoprostol or misoprostol alone). Less is known about how abortion seekers understand other pregnancy-ending practices, including non-evidence-based methods such as herbs, vitamins, alcohol, or physical stress. We examine how abortion seekers in pre-Dobbs Mississippi learned about, evaluated, attempted, or rejected these methods before obtaining clinic-based abortion care. Between December 2021 and August 2022, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 24 abortion seekers recruited through Mississippi's only outpatient abortion clinic and analyzed transcripts using inductive thematic analysis. Interest in pregnancy termination outside formal healthcare was shaped by cost, travel, scheduling demands, and privacy and disclosure concerns. Respondents' language did not map neatly onto distinctions between evidence-based self-sourced medication abortion and non-evidence-based methods; instead, they described "at-home abortion," home remedies, or efforts to induce a period or miscarriage. They relied primarily on informal information sources, including online searches, friends, and personal or professional networks. Concerns about safety, effectiveness, bodily harm, and future fertility led some to reject or stop attempts to end pregnancies on their own. Six respondents attempted pregnancy termination before presenting for clinic-based care using non-evidence-based methods; none succeeded. These findings show how structural barriers, limited reliable information, and uncertainty shaped abortion-seeking before Dobbs, even when clinic-based care remained legally available. These accounts illuminate informational gaps and risk perceptions that may be especially consequential after Dobbs, as access to clinic-based care becomes more restricted.

Diabetes is a leading global cause of mortality and disability, with foot complications often resulting in amputation. Digital (toe) amputations are particularly common due to neuropathy, ischemia, and infection, and are frequently followed by delayed healing. This case describes a 66-year-old diabetic male who underwent multiple toe amputations on his right foot. Despite successful surgery, wound healing was slow. A compounded topical powder was prescribed, containing phenytoin, piperacillin, tazobactam, misoprostol, aloe vera, and beta glucan in a novel powder-to-hydrogel, film-forming topical compounding base (EctoSeal P2G™). Applied twice weekly for three months, the treatment led to complete wound closure without complications. The patient initially reported a poor quality of life, scoring 58 out of 68 on the Wound-QoL-17 questionnaire. By the end of treatment, both clinical progress and patient-reported outcomes indicated significant improvement. This case supports the key role of pharmacist-led, individualized wound therapies in post-amputation care.

Labour and delivery interventions play an important role in maternal and neonatal care, particularly when labour progress is delayed, fetal well-being is uncertain, or high-risk obstetric conditions are present. Current literature often examines these interventions separately, whereas clinical practice typically involves overlapping decisions regarding induction, augmentation, monitoring, caesarean timing, operative delivery, and newborn care. This review narratively summarised findings from 10 completed studies examining maternal, delivery, surgical, and neonatal outcomes across distinct obstetric interventions. As each intervention was represented by only one or two primary studies, the findings were presented as intervention-specific evidence and interpreted with appropriate caution. A systematic review approach was followed, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Database searching identified 337 records; after duplicate removal, screening, and eligibility assessment, 10 studies were included. The studies covered labour induction, oxytocin augmentation, electronic fetal monitoring, placenta previa, placenta accreta spectrum, caesarean delay, operative vaginal delivery, episiotomy, manual rotation, and essential newborn care practices. Combined misoprostol and Foley balloon use shortened the induction-to-delivery time, while sequential Foley use after misoprostol was linked to longer labour and a higher rate of caesarean delivery. Continuous fetal monitoring increased operative delivery without a clear neonatal benefit in low-risk labour. Planned delivery improved outcomes in placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum, while caesarean delay increased severe maternal outcomes. Mediolateral episiotomy reduced obstetric anal sphincter injury in selected operative deliveries. Overall, timely, selective, and risk-based obstetric care appears essential for improving maternal and neonatal safety.

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is commonly managed with medical or surgical intervention, with comparable outcomes described in the general population. However, intrauterine instrumentation including dilation and curettage has been linked to endometrial thinning, associated with inferior in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Limited data exists on how EPL management influences subsequent IVF outcomes, particular in patients undergoing single euploid embryo transfer (SEET). This single-center, retrospective cohort study compared endometrial thickness and outcomes in the subsequent SEET cycle between patients with EPL who underwent either medical or surgical management. A total of 203 patients were included: 88 patients who underwent medical and 115 who underwent surgical management. The primary outcome was change in endometrial thickness between the initial and subsequent SEET cycle. Secondary outcomes included SEET cycle cancellation due to thin endometrium (< 7 mm) and subsequent SEET outcomes. Between the initial and subsequent SEET cycle, change in endometrial thickness was similar between groups (Medical + 0.3 ± 1.4 mm, Surgical + 0.1 ± 1.5 mm; P = 0.65). Endometrial thickness in the subsequent cycle was also comparable (Medical 9.4 ± 1.5 mm, Surgical 9.1 ± 1.2 mm; P = 0.20). SEET cycle cancellation due to thin endometrium was low and similar between groups (Medical 3.4% [95% CI 1.0-9.6] (n = 3), Surgical 2.6% [95% CI 1.0-7.4] (n = 3); P = 0.74). While surgical management was associated with higher subsequent clinical pregnancy loss (15.7% vs. 4.9%; P < 0.05; aOR 3.72 [95% CI 1.11-12.47]), subsequent live birth rates were similar between groups (Medical 48.8%, Surgical 40.7%; P = 0.27; aOR 0.67 [95% CI 0.35-1.28]). These findings may help guide counseling patients undergoing IVF regarding management decision-making when facing EPL.