Prevalence of Ultrasonography Proved Polycystic Ovaries in North Indian Women with Type 2 Diabetes
August 12th 2006Polycystic ovaries (PCO) and their clinical expression (the polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS]) as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are common medical conditions linked through insulin resistance. We studied the prevalence of PCO and PCOS in women with diet and/or oral hypoglycemic treated T2DM and non-diabetic control women.
Controversies in OB/GYN: Should patients undergoing low-risk C/S receive antibiotic prophylaxis?
August 1st 2006Dr. Chelmow maintains that the benefits and cost savings of prophylactic antibiotics are clear. Drs. Marder and Boggess, on the other hand, say the drugs should only be used when infection risk factors justify it.
Uterine smooth muscle tumors: the benign, the bizarre, and the deadly
August 1st 2006Though most of these common tumors are benign, 0.5% of patients undergoing hysterectomy for presumed fibroids will be found to have a leiomyosarcoma, which usually kills within 5 years if it spreads outside the uterus. And five patients' leiomyosarcomas weren't diagnosed until after UAE.
Grand Rounds: An update on hysteroscopic tubal sterilization
August 1st 2006Now that the device has been available in the United States for several years, there are more clinical data to look at. Here's a brief review of the literature on its indications, benefits, contraindications, and complications.
States get set to institute abortion ban
August 1st 2006Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco is ready to sign a bill that would ban abortions except when a woman's life is threatened by a pregnancy. The bill, which was passed by both houses of the state legislature and sent to the governor in early June, would not go into effect unless the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
New CDC recommendations for HPV vaccine
August 1st 2006In June, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine developed to protect women against cervical cancer. Known as Gardasil and developed by Merck & Co., the drug is highly effective against four types of human papillomavirus, including two that cause cervical cancer.
Women at highest risk for cancer may be falsely reassured
August 1st 2006About 12% of women who test for inherited mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 receive a false-negative result, according to the findings of a recent study. In addition, about one in 20 with mutations in CHEK2 and TP53, two additional genes that have been found to increase the risk of breast cancer, are also falsely reassured.
No benefit from raloxifene for CHD; fatal stroke risk up
August 1st 2006The selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) raloxifene reduces the risk of invasive breast cancer but does not prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) and increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and fatal stroke, according to the Raloxifene Use for The Heart (RUTH) trial results published in the July 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Doppler U/S better than amnio for Rh+ pregnancy
August 1st 2006In the management of Rh-alloimmunized pregnancies, Doppler ultrasonography (U/S) of the middle cerebral artery is superior to amniocentesis in predicting fetal anemia and is a safe alternative for monitoring such pregnancies, according to a study in the July 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of A Self-Management Intervention For Type 2 Diabetes
July 17th 2006The Diabetes Manual is a type 2 diabetes self-management programme based upon the clinically effective 'Heart Manual'. The 12 week programme is a complex intervention theoretically underpinned by self-efficacy theory.
Maternal Serum Alpha-fetoprotein Levels in Fetal Hydrocephalus
July 7th 2006Although maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) is a highly sensitive marker for certain congenital malformations such as open neural tube and ventral wall defects, its usefulness as a screening test for fetal hydrocephalus is uncertain.
WHO systematic review of prevalence of CPP: a neglected reproductive health morbidity
July 6th 2006Health care planning for chronic pelvic pain (CPP), an important cause of morbidity amongst women is hampered due to lack of clear collated summaries of its basic epidemiological data. We systematically reviewed worldwide literature on the prevalence of different types of CPP to assess the geographical distribution of data, and to explore sources of variation in its estimates.
Antioxidant supplementation during pregnancy: Harmful rather than helpful?
July 1st 2006Supplementation with the antioxidant vitamins C and E during pregnancy doesn't reduce the risks of preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, infant death, or other serious infant outcomes in nulliparous women, according to the results of a recent multicenter, randomized trial. In fact, women taking the vitamins may be more likely to develop hypertension and to require treatment with antihypertensive drugs.
Bar-coding is not a panacea for halting patient mix-ups
July 1st 2006At least that's what Clement J. McDonald, MD, emphasized in an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine (4/4/06). Presenting an actual case, in which two patients were misidentified when a mix-up occurred with their bar-coded identification wristbands, McDonald drew several conclusions to improve risk management