Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(9):891-898
To evaluate the effect of neuromodulatory drugs on the intensity of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women.
Searches were carried out in the PubMed, Cochrane Central, Embase, Lilacs, OpenGrey, and Clinical Trials databases.
The searches were carried out by two of the authors, not delimiting publication date or original language. The following descriptors were used: chronic pelvic pain in women OR endometriosis, associated with MESH/ENTREE/DeCS: gabapentinoids, gabapentin, amitriptyline, antidepressant, pregabalin, anticonvulsant, sertraline, duloxetine, nortriptyline, citalopram, imipramine, venlafaxine, neuromodulation drugs, acyclic pelvic pain, serotonin, noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants, with the Boolean operator OR. Case reports and systematic reviews were excluded.
The following data were extracted: author, year of publication, setting, type of study, sample size, intervention details, follow-up time, and results.
A total of 218 articles were found, with 79 being excluded because they were repeated, leaving 139 articles for analysis: 90 were excluded in the analysis of the titles, 37 after reading the abstract, and 4 after reading the articles in full, and 1 could not be found, therefore, leaving 7 articles that were included in the review.
Most of the studies analyzed have shown pain improvement with the help of neuromodulators for chronic pain. However, no improvement was found in the study with the highest statistical power. There is still not enough evidence that neuromodulatory drugs reduce the intensity of pain in women with CPP.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(6):602-608
The aim of the present study is to list the published clinical trials on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, to describe the mechanism of action of the identified vaccines, and to identify protocols regarding safety, status, and prioritization of cancer patients for vaccination.
This is a systematic review with a limited literature search conducted by an information specialist; key resources such as PubMed and websites of major cancer organizations were searched. The main search terms were COVID-19, vaccination, cancer, and breast and gynecological cancers.
Cancer patients infected with the new coronavirus are at high risk of complications and death, but we still know little about the risks and benefits of vaccination for COVID-19 in these patients. In an ideal scenario, all cancer patients should have their immunization status updated before beginning treatment, but this is not always possible.
Patients with breast or gynecological cancers who are receiving treatment or are in the 5-year posttreatment period should be included in the priority group for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(6):609-613
Pregnancy in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH) is an uncommon condition. Its management is challenging both to the obstetricians as well as to the gastroenterologists due to the lack of more extensive studies and standard clinical practice guidelines. These patients are at increased risk of portal hypertension (PTH) complications, especially variceal bleeding, and with an increased incidence of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Hence, a multidisciplinary approach is required for management of pregnancy in NCPH. This short review describes the different aspects of pregnancy with NCPH, emphasizing specific strategies for preventing and managing PTH from the preconceptional period to postpartum.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(6):614-620
The impact of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection on female’s fertility is not completely established yet, since the level of evidence associating these factors is still weak. Hence, the goal of the present review is to contribute to a better elucidation of this matter. The electronic database chosen was the Medline/PubMed, with the last survey on May 11, 2021. Publication date was used as a filter, with the previous 5 years having been selected. The following describers were used: chlamydia trachomatis AND infertility; chlamydia trachomatis AND tubal alteration AND infertility; chlamydia AND low pregnancy rates. From the 322 studies screened, 293 that failed to meet our eligibility criteria were excluded. Subsequently, we removed seven studies for not having the possible correlation between CT infections and female infertility as its main focus, and three for being about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in general. Moreover, two studies designed as reviews were also excluded. Ergo, we included 17 studies in our qualitative analysis. The authors conducted research individually and analyzed carefully the studies selected. As we retrieved the information needed for our study through reading the texts, no contact was made with the authors of the studies selected. This systematic review corroborates the hypothesis that CT infection potentiates female infertility, as 76.47% of the included studies found a positive correlation between them. We conclude that there is an important association between CT infection and female infertility. Ergo, making CT screening part of the infertility investigation routine is relevant and has a reasonable justification.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(6):621-628
Breaking bad news is common in obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn). However, it is difficult, and few doctors receive training on how to deal with this situation. This narrative review aims to gather, analyze, and synthesize part of the knowledge on the area, focused on Ob-Gyn. Among the 16 selected articles, two are randomized controlled intervention studies, and most studies refer to obstetrics. The results found by us pointed out that simulation, feedback/debriefing, lectures, and protocols could improve doctors’ performance in communicating bad news. For patients, the context and how the information is transmitted seem to impact more than the content of the news. Ob-Gyn doctors could benefit from specific protocols and education, given the specialty’s particularities. There is a lack of evidence about the most effective way to conduct such training. Finding validated ways to quantify and classify studies’ results in the area, which would allow for the objective analysis of outcomes, is one of the biggest challenges concerning this topic.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(8):771-775
Preeclampsia, a human pregnancy syndrome, is characterized by elevated blood pressure and proteinuria after the 20th week of gestation. Its etiology remains unknown, and its pathophysiological mechanisms are related to placental hypoperfusion, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and coagulation cascade activation. Recently, the role of the complement system has been considered. This syndrome is one of the main causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. This article discusses the hypothesis of preeclampsia being triggered by the occurrence of inadequate implantation of the syncytiotrophoblast, associated with bleeding during the first stage of pregnancy and with augmented thrombin generation. Thrombin activates platelets, increasing the release of antiangiogenic factors and activating the complement system, inducing the membrane attack complex (C5b9). Immature platelet fraction and thrombin generation may be possible blood biomarkers to help the early diagnosis of preeclampsia.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(9):884-890
Although almost 0.7% of the Brazilian population identifies as transgender, there is currently no training for healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care to these patients, including the discussion of reproductive planning. The use of testosterone promotes amenorrhea in the first months of use; however, this effect does not guarantee contraceptive efficacy, and, consequently, increases the risks of unplanned pregnancy. The present article is an integrative review with the objective of evaluating and organizing the approach of contraceptive counseling for the transgender population who were assigned female at birth. We used the PubMed and Embase databases for our search, as well as international guidelines on care for the transgender population. Of 88 articles, 7 were used to develop the contraceptive counseling model. The model follows the following steps: 1. Addressing the information related to the need for contraception; 2. Evaluation of contraindications to the use of contraceptive methods (hormonal and nonhormonal); and 3. Side effects and possible discomfort associated with the use of contraception. The contraceptive counseling model is composed of 18 questions that address the indications and contraindications to the use of these methods, and a flowchart to assist patients in choosing a method that suits their needs.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(7):692-700
To review concepts, definitions, and findings about fear of childbirth (FOC).
A bibliographic review was carried out through the main scientific databases in 2020.
All 32 articles considered potentially relevant were analyzed. A recent study suggests that the global prevalence of FOC can reach up to 14%. Factors such as parity, gestational age, previous birth experience, age and nationality of the woman seem to influence FOC.
Fear of childbirth could be related to an increased risk of adverse obstetric outcomes such as maternal request for cesarean delivery, preterm birth, prolonged labor, postpartum depression, and post-traumatic stress. These evidence highlight the importance of the discussion regarding this topic.