Maternal fetal ultrasound for WHO antenatal corticosteroids (ACTION) trial

Home / Maternal fetal ultrasound for WHO antenatal corticosteroids (ACTION) trial

Maternal fetal ultrasound for WHO antenatal corticosteroids (ACTION) trial

ASA Adelaide Branch Chair Sandy Maranna, has been collaborating with the World Health Organization on the ACTION trials since 2017 to support obstetric ultrasound and quality assurance activities across participating countries. The ACTION-III Trial is a multi-country, multi-centre, three-arm, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of antenatal corticosteroids for women with a high probability of birth in the late preterm period in hospitals in low-resource countries to improve newborn outcomes. The trial is underway in 23 hospitals in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya.

The ACTION-III Ultrasound Training and Quality Assurance Team has now grown bigger and is composed of independent experts who are advisory to the Trial Coordinating Unit. The experts were identified based on their expertise in obstetric ultrasound training and quality assurance procedures with specific consideration of the needs of clinicians in limited-resource settings. As a part of this team, Sandy is responsible for overseeing ACTION-III Trial activities related to obstetric ultrasound training and quality assurance. The other team members include maternal-fetal medicine specialists from the USA, Dr Lynn Coppola, Dr Naima Joseph and Dr Blair Wylie.

Sandy recently travelled to India-New Delhi and Bangladesh Dhaka to oversee the project in five multi-speciality, tertiary care centres. She is grateful for the continued support from the Academic Dean Prof Roger Eston, program Dean Assoc Prof Shylie Mackintosh and Prof Lead Eva Bezak, for her involvement in the ACTION trials.