EMQ — Extended Matching Question · Review
Question 33
Feto-maternal medicine → Perinatology
Classification
Question
EEMQQuestion Header
Which of the following best reflects the RCOG recommendation for maintaining operator experience?
Question Stem
A fetal medicine unit is reviewing governance standards for clinicians who undertake amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.
Answer Bank
A
At least 5 procedures annually
B
At least 10 procedures annually
C
At least 12 procedures annually
D
At least 15 procedures annually
E
At least 20 procedures completed or supervised annually
F
At least 30 procedures annually
G
At least 50 procedures annually
H
No minimum procedural exposure is suggested
Correct Answer
E) At least 20 procedures completed or supervised annually
Explanation
Operator experience is an important component of the safety and quality of invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures. Clinicians performing amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling should ideally perform or supervise at least 20 procedures each year. This recommendation supports maintenance of procedural competence and should sit alongside local audit of outcomes such as pregnancy loss, culture failure and appropriate anti-D prophylaxis. It is not a claim that a precise annual number alone guarantees competence; rather, it provides a governance benchmark for continued procedural exposure. Lower arbitrary thresholds do not meet this recommendation.
Option Validity
A) Five procedures annually is below the RCOG suggested level of exposure.
B) Ten procedures annually is below the recommended benchmark.
C) Twelve procedures annually does not meet the recommendation.
D) Fifteen procedures annually remains below the suggested annual exposure.
F) A minimum of 30 procedures annually is not required.
G) A threshold of 50 procedures annually is not specified.
H) RCOG does provide guidance on annual procedural exposure.
Further Reading
Navaratnam K, Alfirevic Z; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling: Green-top Guideline No. 8. BJOG 2022;129:e1-e15. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16821.