Gender Trends in Emergency Medicine Publications

Background In recent years, the number of women entering the field of emergency medicine (EM) has increased.
Objectives To determine if authorship in EM publications has increased in parallel with this trend.
Methods The gender of first and last authors of EM articles in Academic Emergency Medicine , American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Annals of Emergency Medicine , and Journal of Emergency Medicine were examined. The authors reviewed articles from 1985, 1995, and 2005 for American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Annals of Emergency Medicine , and Journal of Emergency Medicine and from 1999 and 2005 for Academic Emergency Medicine . The primary outcomes were the proportions of female authors.
Results A total of 2,016 articles were reviewed. Overall, 18% of first and last authors were female. Respectively, for 1985, 1995, 1999, and 2005, the proportions of female first authors were 9%, 15%, 19%, and 24%; the proportions of female last authors were 9%, 18%, 19%, and 22%. The trend of increases in female authorship was statistically significant.
Conclusions Although female authorship remains a minority in EM publications, it has increased significantly in parallel with increases in female participation in EM.     

Intentional mis-reporting of food consumption and its relationship with body mass index and psychological scores in women

BACKGROUND: The reasons for mis-reporting food consumption warrant investigation. OBJECTIVE: To document intention to mis-report food consumption and its associations with psychological measures in women. DESIGN: A total of 184 female volunteers aged 18-65 years, comprising 50 seeking help in primary care to lose weight with a body mass index (BMI) >/=30 kg m(-2) (obese-clinical group) and 134 nurses (nonclinical groups) (BMI <25 kg m(-2), n = 52; BMI 25-29.9 kg m(-2), n = 45; BMI >/=30 kg m(-2), n = 37) were studied. A questionnaire was administered containing three psychological tests (self-esteem, psychological well-being and Stunkard's three-factor eating questionnaire) and new items to address food intake mis-reporting. RESULTS: Overall, 68% of participants declared an inclination to mis-report (64% nonclinical, 78% clinical). Inclination to under-report was 29, 33 and 51% in the three nonclinical groups; and 46% among the obese clinical patients. Among the same groups, inclination to over-report were 39, 29, 11 and 32%. After adjusting for social deprivation and BMI, women inclined to mis-report had higher hunger (P = 0.008) and disinhibition (P = 0.005) scores than those intending to report accurately. These variables were associated with current dieting, frequency of dieting, self-reported bingeing and dissatisfaction with body weight. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that intentional under-reporting and over-reporting of food consumption are common in women of all BMI categories and are associated with eating behaviour. Current dieting, frequency of dieting in the past, self-reported bingeing and dissatisfaction with body weight seem to mediate this relationship.     

Effect of female sex hormone supplementation and withdrawal on gastrointestinal and colonic transit in postmenopausal women

Females are disproportionately affected by constipation, which is often aggravated during pregnancy. Bowel function also changes during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The aim was to compare the effects of acute administration of female sex steroids on gastric emptying, small bowel transit and colonic transit in healthy postmenopausal subjects. A second aim was to determine whether withdrawal of the hormones was associated with a change in transit. Forty-nine postmenopausal females were randomized to receive for 7 days 400 mg day(-1) micronized progesterone, 0.2 mg day(-1) oestradiol, combination of the two, or placebo. Treatment groups were balanced on age. Participants underwent whole gut transit measurement by scintigraphy using a 99m-labeled technetium-egg meal and 111-labeled indium-charcoal via a delayed-release capsule. Transit measurement was repeated after withdrawal of the study medications. The primary endpoints were ascending colon (AC) emptying half-life time (t1/2) and colonic geometric centre (GC) at 24 h. Secondary analysis variables were GC at 4 and 48 h, gastric emptying t1/2 and colonic filling at 6 h. There was a significant overall effect of progesterone on colonic transit with shorter AC emptying t1/2 and significantly greater colonic GC at 48 h. No transit endpoints were altered by oestradiol or combined hormonal treatment relative to placebo. Oestradiol and progesterone resulted in looser stool consistency. Withdrawal of the hormone supplement was not associated with significant alteration in transit. Micronized progesterone does not retard colonic transit in postmenopausal females.     

The Relationship Between Daily Life Stress and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Research on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) system, has linked GI symptoms to stress. This study examined the relationship between daily stress and GI symptoms across women and within woman in IBS patients (n = 26), IBS nonpatients (IBS-NP; n = 23), and controls (n = 26), controlling for menstrual cycle phase. Women (ages 20–45) completed daily health diaries for two cycles in which they monitored daily GI symptoms and stress levels. The Life Event Survey (LES) was used as a retrospective measure of self-reported stress. The across-women analyses showed higher mean GI symptoms and stress in the IBS and IBS-NP groups relative to controls but no group differences in LES scores. The within-woman analyses found a significant and positive relationship between daily stress and daily symptoms in both the IBS-NP and the IBS groups. Controlling for menstrual cycle had no substantial impact on the results.     

Effect of age, breast size, menopausal and hormonal status on mammographic skin thickness

Background/purpose: The localized or generalized skin thickness detected on mammography may reflect an underlying pathology of breast or a systemic disease involving the skin. The aim of this report is to describe the range of normal breast skin thickness in women using a film-screen mammographic technique.
Methods: Measurement of the mammographic skin thickness over different parts of the breast was performed in 144 women who had normal findings in a combined mammographic and ultrasonographic examination. Patients were grouped as premenopause, postmenopause and surgical menopause who were under continuous oestrogen treatment. The skin thickness in four regions (superior, inferior, medial, lateral) of both breasts was compared, and their relations with age, breast size, menopausal and hormonal status were investigated. The interobserver reliability was tested in a small subgroup of patients.
Results: Interobserver agreement was good for all measurements. The range of normal breast skin thickness was between 0.50 and 3.10 mm. There were no differences in skin thickness between the corresponding regions of the breasts, with significant differences between the regions in the same breast. While breast size increased with age, skin thickness decreased in all regions.
Conclusion: The breast size, age, regional variations and hormonal status of the patients should be considered when defining the normal range of skin thickness in mammographic examinations. We assume that upper limit of mammographic skin thickness should be set as 3.0 mm, regardless of the focal spot size and film-focus distance.     

孕期心理干预对产后情绪的影响

目的探讨孕期对孕妇及家属给予心理干预对产后抑郁、焦虑情绪的影响。方法对270名孕妇和268名孕妇家属分别进行心理干预,对照组269名孕妇接受一般教育,干预组及对照组在孕期填写一般情况调查表及SDS、SAS量表,产后1周、1个月、6个月填写SDS、SAS量表。结果干预组产后抑郁焦虑发生率较对照组明显降低(P<0.05)。结论孕期加强对孕妇及家属的心理教育有利于稳定情绪,降低产后抑郁、焦虑的发生。     

产后出血的预防和护理（附117例分析）

目的探讨产后出血的原因与护理、预防的方法，确保产妇安全。方法回顾性分析本组产妇分娩后大出血的病情观察、护理、治疗和预防的方法。结果经过精心护理和积极治疗，及时止血，解除了病人的紧张情绪，117例病人平均住院8d，均痊愈出院。结论加强对产妇，特别是产后出血病人的护理，对预防和及时控制出血，加快病人康复有重要意义。     

Breast Volume Measurement in Young Chinese Women and Clinical Applications

The authors carried out research on breast volume and body surface anatomy of 125 women. As a result, an average breast volume for Chinese women was obtained (325.36 ± 12.66 ml), and a table with several linear equations for calculating breast volume was derived. The authors applied these results to their clinical work and succeeded in making mammaplasty more precise in 178 patients.     

育龄妇女、孕妇及乳母碘营养状况调查

目的 了解缺碘地区食用合格碘盐的育龄妇女和孕妇及乳母碘营养状况。方法 对病区育龄妇女和孕妇及乳母进行观察。采用酸消化砷铈接触法及全定量直接滴定法分别检测尿碘，乳碘和盐碘含量。结果 育龄妇女和孕妇及乳母尿碘含量分别为219.37μg/L，203.98μg/L，178.55μg/L，尿碘值小于100μg/L占24.14%，三组人群尿碘水平依次降低，但差异未显示统计学意义；乳碘值为122.72μg/L，小于100μg/L达33.93%，提示应关注特需人群的碘营养问题。结论 应开展对育龄妇女和孕妇及乳母的尿碘监测。以指导合理补碘，防止胎儿和婴幼儿碘营养不良的发生。