Women's knowledge, practises, and intentions regarding correct pelvic floor exercises.

AIM: Although research has demonstrated the efficacy of pelvic floor exercises (PFXs) for the prevention and treatment of female urinary incontinence (FUI), adherence to PFX regimens is commonly poor. There is some evidence that this finding is in part due to a lack of knowledge about how to perform PFXs correctly and misconceptions about the required frequency and duration of PFX regimens. METHODS: By using a sample of 720 postpartum women, this study investigates women's PFX regimens both before and during pregnancy and postpartum. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated that most women were aware of the required frequency for PFXs (at least every second day): just over half had done them this often during pregnancy and 91% intended to do so postpartum. However, few had done them at this level before pregnancy and less than half knew that PFXs should be carried out indefinitely throughout the lifetime. Moreover, only two thirds were confident that they were doing PFXs correctly. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that, despite good knowledge of the required frequency of PFXs, few women practise them regularly over their lifetime, many apparently perceiving PFXs as relevant only to the childbirth years. Implications for health professionals in addressing these gaps in women's knowledge and practises are discussed.     

Insertion of Hickman central venous catheters by using angiographic techniques in patients with hematologic disorders.

During a 9-month period, 69 Hickman catheters were successfully inserted by using angiographic techniques in 59 patients with hematologic disorders. A pneumothorax, which did not require drainage, developed in one patient. No other significant complications occurred at the time of insertion. Eighteen catheters were removed electively, 15 are still in situ, six were removed for thrombosis, and five were accidentally removed. Infection precipitated removal in six subjects. Ten patients died with the catheter in place. Five catheters were removed in patients with refractory septicemia of unknown origin. One catheter burst during an injection and had to be removed. Three patients were lost to follow-up. There were 3.24 infectious episodes per 1000 days of catheterization, more than twice the rate found in some other series. The results of this study are compatible with the growing body of evidence in favor of the angiographic insertion of Hickman catheters. The apparently high rate of infection is ascribed to factors other than insertion in the angiography suite, including the high proportion of bone marrow transplantation patients.     

INVOLVEMENT OF NON-NMDA AND NMDA RECEPTORS IN GLUTAMATE-INDUCED PRESSOR OR DEPRESSOR RESPONSES OF THE PONS AND MEDULLA

1. Fifty-five intact and six baroreceptor denervated and vagotomized cats of either sex were anaesthetized intraperito-neally with urethane (400 mg/kg) and a-chloralose (40 mg/kg). Responses of the systemic arterial pressure (SAP), mean SAP (MSAP) and sympathetic vertebral nerve (VNA) and renal nerve activities (RNA) were recorded. 2. In intact animals, monosodium L-glutamate (Glu, 0.1 mol/L, 50 nL) was microinjected into pressor areas of the locus coeruleus (LC), gigantocellular tegmental field (GTF), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and dorsomedial medulla (DM), and the depressor areas of caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM). The induced actions were compared before and after microinjection of either glutamate antagonists, glutamate diethylester (GDEE, 0.5 mol/L, 50–100nL), a competitive AMPA receptor blocker, or 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-AP5, 0.025 mol/L, 50–100 nL), a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker. GDEE completely blocked the increases of SAP and VNA elicited from all pressor areas. D-AP5 only partially blocked the pressor but slightly blocked VNA and RNA responses from LC, GTF and DM, particularly those from RVLM. Neither GDEE nor D-AP5 blocked the depressor responses of SAP and two nerve activities elicited from CVLM. 3. In baroreceptor denervated animals, NMDA (2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) and AMPA (0.2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) were micro-injected into the same pressor areas of GTF, RVLM and DM and the depressor area of CVLM responsive to Glu activation (0.1 mol/L, 30 nL). In RVLM, DM and CVLM, the results of either NMDA or AMPA were similar to those induced by Glu. However, in GTF, microinjection of either NMDA or AMPA did not induce similar responses to Glu. This suggests that the nature of GTF may differ from RVLM and DM. 4. The above results suggest that the Glu-induced pressor responses from LC, GTF, DM and especially RVLM, are primarily mediated through AMPA receptors. The Glu-induced depressor responses from CVLM may not be predominantly mediated by either AMPA or NMDA receptors. 5. In both baroreceptor-intact and -denervated cats stimulation of the pressor areas often produced an increase of VNA and a decrease of RNA, while in the depressor CVLM decreased both VNA and RNA. The VNA, but not RNA were positively correlated with the pressor responses, while both VNA and RNA were positively correlated with the depressor responses. This may suggest that neurons of the sympathetic vertebral and renal nerves are topographically organized in the brain.     

Proximal femoral focal deficiency: radiologic analysis of 49 cases

Proximal femoral focal deficiency, an uncommon congenital anomaly, necessitates early radiologic classification for surgical planning and treatment. Objective radiographic criteria, including femoral length index, acetabular depth index, acetabular angle index, and shape of the proximal femur were determined in 49 patients before cartilaginous ossification of the femoral capital epiphysis; final classification was based on follow-up radiographs or findings at arthrography or surgery. These parameters were analyzed to determine the accuracy and contributions of each in classification. Correct classification into one of three groups was possible in 86% of cases with use of three of the parameters: femoral length index, acetabular depth index, and shape of the proximal femur. The acetabular angle was found to contribute insignificantly to classification. Magnetic resonance imaging, used in only one case, depicted the nonossified cartilaginous femoral capital epiphysis, thus obviating the need for invasive diagnostic procedures and facilitating early classification.     

The prevalence and expression of diabetes in a sample of optometric patients

The clinical characteristics of 100 consecutively presenting diabetic patients of an optometrist were investigated. This sample was drawn from 3798 patient first visits and represented 2.6% of the practice population sample. Diabetic retinopathy was present in 26% of the diabetic patients; this prevalence is similar to that found in diabetics examined in community based surveys. The ocular complications of diabetics observed in this study appeared to be similar to those of diabetics in the general community. The mean random blood glucose levels of the diabetics having retinopathy was not significantly different from those not having retinopathy. A first degree family history of diabetes was admitted by 46% of the diabetic subjects and was the most common associated clinical feature surveyed; a control group of non-diabetic subjects had a first degree family history of diabetes in 10% of cases. In seven patients, the diabetes was diagnosed as a result of signs detected at the optometric examination; these signs are listed. No newly diagnosed diabetic had diabetic retinopathy as a presenting sign. Ocular and systemic signs, other than diabetic retinopathy, were sought and a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease was detected in these diabetic patients. The vision of the diabetic patients was compared to that of 100 randomly selected age and sex matched controls; there was no significant difference in the visual acuity of the two groups. The implications of this finding are discussed. Guidelines for the detection and management of diabetic patients of optometrists are suggested.     

Serum ionic fluoride levels in haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients

High serum fluoride (F-) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with risk of renal osteodystrophy and other bone changes. This study was done to determine F- in normal healthy controls and patients with ESRD on haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). Seventeen healthy controls (12 males, 5 females) and 39 ESRD patients on dialysis (17 males, 22 females) were recruited in the study in a community with 47.4 +/- 3.28 microM/l (range 44-51 microM/l) of F- content in drinking water. Control subjects showed a mean serum F- concentration of 1.08 +/- 0.350 microM/l. Males in control group showed slightly higher F- levels (1.15 +/- 0.334, range 0.55-1.9 microM/l) than females (0.92 +/- 0.370, range 0.6-1.5 microM/l). Mean serum F- concentration did not correlate significantly with age and sex among control subjects, whereas such correlation was observed in patients with ESRD on dialysis. Mean serum F- concentration was significantly higher in patients on dialysis (2.67 +/- 1.09, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l) than normal controls. When grouped according to sex, the mean serum F- concentration in males (3.05 +/- 1.04, range 1.8-5.2 microM/l) was significantly higher than females (2.38 +/- 1.08, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l). When patients were grouped according to age, it was observed that F- concentration was significantly higher in patients with age groups 21-70 (2.86 +/- 1.05) than those with age group 13-20 years (1.42 +/- 0.531). Thus F- concentration correlated with age and sex, being higher in males and above 20 years. Despite appreciable clearance of F- (39-90%) across the peritoneum, patients on CAPD showed higher serum F- concentration than those on HD (3.1 +/- 1.97 vs 2.5 +/- 1.137 microM/l). Of the total 39 patients on dialysis 39% had their serum F- concentration above 3.0 microM/l, posing the risk of renal osteodystrophy.