No. 383-Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorders

Background: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders are a potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy that demand coordinated interdisciplinary care to achieve safer outcomes. The rising incidence of this disease is due to a growing number of uterine surgical procedures, including the rising incidence of pregnancy following Caesarean section. Objective: To provide current evidence-based guidelines on the optimal methods used to effectively screen, diagnose, and manage PAS disorders. Methods: Members of the guideline committee were selected on the basis of their ongoing expertise in managing this condition across Canada and by practice setting. The committee reviewed all available evidence in the English medical literature, including published guidelines, and evaluated diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and clinical outcomes. Evidence: Published literature, including clinical practice guidelines, was retrieved through searches of Medline and The Cochrane Library to March 2018 using appropriate controlled vocabulary and key words. Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies written in English. Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated in the guideline to July 2018. Values: The quality of evidence in this document was graded using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. Results: This document reviews the evidence regarding the available diagnostic and surgical techniques used for optimal management of women with suspected PAS disorders, including anaesthesia and practical considerations for interdisciplinary care. Benefits, Harms, and Costs: Implementation of the guideline recommendations will improve awareness of this disease and increase the proportion of affected women receiving interdisciplinary care in regional centres. Conclusions: Interdisciplinary team-based care providing accurate diagnostic services, coordinated planning, and safer surgery deliver effective care with improved clinical outcomes in comparison with alternative management.