pregnancy

[obadya00]

is it safe to be pregnant and perform autopsies? is there anything that a pregnant resident can't perform during residency d/t potential harm to the fetus?

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[yaah]

Autopsy is not much different from surgery - pregnant people do surgery all the time. I guess perhaps if you have to deal with someone with a contagious disease you might want to be careful, but that should be true whether or not you are pregnant.

Some suggest that being around lots of formalin might be detrimental to a developing fetus. I am not sure if there is evidence out there or perhaps the people I knew who were pregnant and involved with surg path grossing were just looking for a way to get out of doing work (sometimes it's regrettably hard to tell!).

Path residents have babies all the time. Not ever having been pregnant I can't comment any further.

 

[garfield]

If you use standard precautions: gloves, face shield, mask, etc., then it's generally safe to do autopsies and gross surg path while pregnant. The harmful effects of formalin happen with long-term inhalation or skin/mucous membrane contact in high concentrations. If you're really worried about any teratogenesis, then talk to the PD/chief residents and they can try to accomodate your schedule. There are always plenty of path residents/fellows who have been pregnant and all goes fine. Personally, I think radiology is worse for pregnancy.

 

[Doctor B.]

We've had several residents who have grossed while pregnant and none have had any problems with their children so far.

 

[deschutes]

...none have had any problems with their children so far.

So far!!

I like that. Realism stated.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

nothing gets past deschutes.

 

[deschutes]

nothing gets past deschutes.

Except a whole bunch of interview offers.

Wrong thread. Sorry.

 

[Doctor B.]

So far!!

I like that. Realism stated.

The kids aren't very old .

 

[deschutes]

The kids aren't very old .

I figured not!

Hey Doc B I watched Good Will Hunting again last weekend....

"You're an idiot. I've been sitting over there for 45 minutes waiting for you to come talk to me, but I'm tired now and I have to go home."

 

[Doctor B.]

Ah, what a great show! I love Robin Williams' story about his wife farting in her sleep and waking herself up .

 

[LADoc00]

From anecdotal evidence Ive gathered, I would say no. Not sure if there are reports to back me up, but there was a significantly higher rate of miscarriages that were occurring among autopsy and gross room personnel in the 90s, then all of the sudden the research on this stopped....suspicious.

 

[yaah]

From anecdotal evidence Ive gathered, I would say no. Not sure if there are reports to back me up, but there was a significantly higher rate of miscarriages that were occurring among autopsy and gross room personnel in the 90s, then all of the sudden the research on this stopped....suspicious.

Lousy Democrats. Can't let the truth come out. Have to cover it up!