Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 05-07-2004;26(2):111-116
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000200005
PURPOSE: to evaluate the characteristics of sexual violence against women, the types of sexual crimes and resulting body lesions. METHODS: descriptive study based on the information obtained from the medical records of 102 victims of sexual violence who were seen at the Maria-Maria project from March 2002 to March 2003 and who fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The characteristics of the violence, the types of crimes and the body injuries are described. For calculation and analysis of the data, the Epi-Info, version 6.04, program, for simple percentages and frequency distribution were used. RESULTS: ages of the victims ranged from 1 to 68 years, 65.7% were younger than 20 years and one in four was younger than 9 years. The majority were single (78.3%) and with a low educational level (74.2%). The crime predominated at night (64.7%), in a secluded area (39.2%), followed by the victim's home (34.3%), and at the location of the attack (67.6%). Among the adolescent victims, the unknown attacker predominated, while among the children the attackers were men known to the victims. In the case of the children younger than 10 years, indecent assault was the most frequent crime (73.8%) while rape was the most frequent crime among the adolescents (66.4%). Body trauma occurred in 76.7% of the cases, mainly hematomas, vulva edema and abrasions. CONCLUSION: sexual violence predominated among children and adolescents, single women and with low educational level. The aggression happened more frequently during the night, by an unknown person, in a secluded area, in the case of adolescents, and by a known person (mainly neighbour), in the victim's home, in the case of children. Rape was the most frequent kind of crime among adolescents and among children it was indecent assault, usually associated with genital and corporeal trauma.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 05-07-2004;26(2):125-130
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000200007
PURPOSE: to evaluate the efficacy of a physical exercise protocol in the recovery of shoulder movement in women who underwent complete axillary lymph node dissection due to breast carcinoma, comparing free and restricted amplitude movements. METHODS: 59 women who underwent complete axillary lymph node dissection associated with modified mastectomy (46) or quadrantectomy (13) were included in this clinical, prospective and randomized study. On the first day after surgery 30 women were randomized to do the shoulder movement with free amplitude and 29 women had this amplitude restricted to 90º in the first 15 days. Nineteen exercises were done, three sessions per week, for six weeks. Mean (± standard error) deficits of shoulder flexion and abduction were compared, as well as gross and adjusted incidence rates of seroma and dehiscence. RESULTS: 42 days after surgery, flexion and abduction means were similar in the two groups. Both presented a mean flexion deficit (17.2º and 21.6º, respectively), and abduction deficit (19.7º and 26.6º, respectively). The incidence rates of seroma and dehiscence were neither related to exercise nor to the type of surgery, time of drain permanence, number of dissected or compromised lymph nodes, age or obesity. CONCLUSION: early physiotherapy with free movement of the women's shoulder was associated neither with functional capacity nor with postsurgical complications.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 05-07-2004;26(2):131-138
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000200008
PURPOSE: to analyze the management for reduction of HIV transmission from mother to infant in infected pregnant women who delivered in public maternity hospitals of the municipality of Fortaleza, Ceará, from 1999 to 2001. METHODS: a descriptive study where data of SINASC, SINAN and LACEN data bank systems were cross-checked looking for HIV-infected pregnant women, followed by an active search for complementary information on the subject through medical records of the maternity hospitals. RESULTS: a hundred and thirty-eight pregnant women infected with HIV were identified. It was observed that 35.5% knew their serum status before pregnancy and 48.6% (67/138) were diagnosed during the prenatal visits. Of those 101 women that knew their serum status before or during pregnancy, only 47.5% followed all steps of prophylaxis, including the management of the newborns. The previous knowledge of the serum status was found to be significantly related to following the correct steps of prophylaxis (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: an increasing number of women who had no access to the different strategies for the reduction of vertical transmission were found in Fortaleza, Ceará, especially among those who became pregnant without knowing their serum status. Continuous awareness and training are very important for all health care providers involved in attending the pregnant women for the application of correct management in order to reduce HIV transmission from mother to infant.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 05-07-2004;26(2):147-151
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000200010
PURPOSE: to assess the length of the uterine cervix by transvaginal ultrasonography in pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes. METHODS: the study group (Ge) consisted of 26 pregnant women with gestational age between 24 and 36 weeks and the control group (Gc) of 49 clinically normal patients at the same gestational age. The patients were evaluated between the 24th to 28th, 28th to 32th and 32th to 36th weeks. The groups were divided into subgroups Ge24-28, Ge28-32, Ge32-36 and Gc24-28, Gc28-32, Gc32-36, according to the study or control group. The cervix length was measured by transvaginal ultrasonography as the linear distance between the internal and external cervical os. RESULTS: we observed significant differences in cervix length between Ge24-28 and Gc24-28 groups whose values were, respectively, 24.3 and 33.0 mm (p=0.04), and between Ge32-36 and Gc32-36, 20.1 and 28.0 mm, respectively (p=0.005). The latency periods of Ge24-28, Ge28-32 and Ge32-36 were, respectively, seven, five and three days, showing a positive correlation with cervix length (r=0.66) and a negative correlation with gestational age (r=-0.27). CONCLUSIONS: the length of the uterine cervix varied with the gestational age when premature preterm rupture of the membranes was detected, with the length being shorter in the study group than in the control group betweeen the 24th and 28th and 32th and 36th weeks. In addition, it was demonstrated that, the shorter the cervix length, the shorter the latency time, with a reduction in the latency period with increasing gestational age at the time of rupture.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 04-26-2004;26(1):15-20
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000100003
PURPOSE: to analyze the values of Doppler ultrasound for blood flow velocity in the ductus venosus between the 10th and the 14th week of gestation, during the different phases of the cardiac cycle: ventricular systole (wave S), ventricular diastole (wave D), atrial systole (wave a), and angle-independent indexes. METHODS: Doppler was used in this prospective cross-sectional study to examine 276 single pregnancies. Fetus malformations, abnormal nuchal translucency, and women with clinical pathologies were excluded. A Toshiba SSH-140 ultrasound equipment was used. The derivation of Doppler frequency spectra was carried out according to standardized measurement procedures: less than 30ºinsonation angle and 50-70 Hz high-pass filter. The ductus venosus was identified in a median sagittal and ventral plane with the presence of color aliasing due to increase in blood flow velocity. The sample volume (1-2 mm³) was placed immediately at the origin of the ductus venosus. At least three clearly and subsequent waves were available for measurement of standard values. The Levene test and the Bonferroni method were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: increase in blood flow velocity from 29 cm/s to 37 cm/s (p=0.013) was observed during ventricular systole between the 10th and the 14th week of gestation. Similarly, increase in blood flow velocity was recorded during the ventricular diastole (from 25 cm/s to 32 cm/s, p=0.026). There were no changes in wave a, pulsatility index, and S/a ratio in this period. CONCLUSION: the reference ranges established by this study may serve as the basis for Doppler ultrasound follow-up in a normal patient population. Further studies are required to determine the validity of these parameters and, in particular, for the fetus at risk.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 04-23-2004;26(1):65-70
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000100010
PURPOSE: to identify risk factors involved in Candida sp vulvovaginitis in an exploratory study using an intentional sample. METHODS: a cross-sectional study with a sample of 135 textile female workers living in Criciúma, South Brazil, between July and September 2002. Oral interview and physical examination were performed by a single gynecologist and vaginal swabs were collected for culture and plated on Sabouraud agar. Epi-Info, version 6.0 was used to analyze the collected data. Prevalence ratios were calculated with a 95% confidence interval. A multivariable analysis of the data by logistic regression and data entry using the SPSS, version 10.0 computer program, was performed. RESULTS: the prevalence of Candida sp vulvovaginitis confirmed by culture in this sample was 19.3%. The prevalence of clinical vulvovaginitis was 17.0% (sensitivity of 38% and specificity of 88%). Significant risk factors for clinically manifest vulvaginitis were the use of hormones and age between 25-34 years and for culture-proven Candida sp vulvovaginitis, regular menstrual cycle. CONCLUSIONS: the overall prevalence of Candida sp vulvovaginitis was 19.3%. A regular menstrual cycle was the main risk factor for Candida sp vulvovaginitis showing the existence of a relationship between menstrual cycle and Candida sp vulvovaginitis. This finding should be better investigated by a cohort study with a larger sample and correlated with blood hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 04-23-2004;26(1):71-75
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000100011
PURPOSE: to determine daily calcium ingestion and its correlation with bone density in patients with anorexia nervosa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: fourteen women with anorexia nervosa recorded their 24 h food ingestion in a standardized diary and were submitted to bone densitometry. Data were analyzed statistically by the c² test and the Pearson correlation, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: mean bone density in the lumbar spine and in the femur were 0.95 ± 0.15 and 0.88 ± 0.26, respectively. There was a significant correlation between time of amenorrhea and bone mass loss both in the lumbar spine (r=-0.65; p=0.01) and in the femur (r=-0.71; p=0.006). All patients but one presented lower calcium ingestion than the recommended dietary allowances, with a mean of 554.5 mg/day (range from 120 to 840 mg/day). Sixty-four percent of the patients presented some degree of bone mass loss (osteopenia or osteoporosis) in the spine and 57% in the femur. None of the six patients with a deficit in calcium ingestion of less than 60% presented osteoporosis; on the other hand, three of eight patients who had deficit in calcium ingestion higher than 60% presented osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: patients with anorexia nervosa had a low calcium ingestion and a significant bone mass loss, which were directly intercorrelated. Low bone density was also correlated with time of amenorrhea.