Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32592074›Full record

ArticleJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2020

Do patient factors influence embryologists' decisions to freeze borderline blastocysts?

T Burns, E R Hammond, L Cree, D E Morbeck, N S Consedine

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

T BurnsDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
E R HammondFertility Associates, Remuera, Auckland, 1051, New Zealand.
L CreeFertility Associates, Remuera, Auckland, 1051, New Zealand.
D E MorbeckFertility Associates, Remuera, Auckland, 1051, New Zealand. deanmorbeckphd@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8787-9331
N S ConsedineDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

research questionTo investigate whether patient factors influence the decision to freeze a blastocyst with low implantation potential.

designThis experimental study assessed 170 practicing embryologists from a variety of countries who were recruited via an online survey. Participants were currently practicing embryologists, who grade blastocysts as part of this role. The survey presented decision-making 'vignettes' to participants. These included specific patient information, as well as an image of an expanded blastocyst that was of borderline quality for inner cell mass and trophectoderm, for which the embryologist selected whether or not to freeze. High/low maternal age, the presence/absence of other top quality blastocysts, and the presence/absence of previously unsuccessful IVF cycles were systematically varied within the patient information in a 2 × 2 × 2 design. Participants reported how likely they would be to freeze a particular blastocyst on a scale of 1 (Extremely Unlikely) to 7 (Extremely Likely), and whether or not they would ultimately freeze each blastocyst (Yes or No).

resultsLower maternal age, no other high-quality blastocysts within the cohort, and multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles were associated with greater likelihood of recommending to freeze (P < .001). Furthermore, significant interactions among all three patient factors were noted.

conclusionThis study provides evidence suggesting that when faced with an uncertain blastocyst, factors pertaining to the patient (maternal age, the presence/absence of other top quality blastocysts, and the presence/absence of previously unsuccessful IVF cycles) influence the decision to freeze.

Indexed as

Embryo Culture TechniquesAdultBlastocystCohort StudiesCryopreservationEmbryo ImplantationEmbryonic DevelopmentEmbryo TransferFemaleFreezingHumansLive BirthPregnancyBlastocyst GradingBorderlineDecisionEmbryoUncertain

Identifiers

PMID32592074
PMCPMC7468049

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.