Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):274-280
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008000600002
PURPOSE: to assess the prevalence of group B streptococcus colonization (GBS) in pregnant women in prodrome or in labor. METHODS: vaginal and rectal cultures were collected from 201 pregnant women, in the admission sector of a public maternity center in the northeast region of Brazil (São Luís, Maranhão). The samples obtained were inoculated in a Todd-Hewith's selective culture medium and after that they were sub-cultivated in blood-agar plates. The CAMP (Christie, Atkins, Munch-Petersen) test was used to identify GBS, which was then serologically confirmed by the BioMérieux Api 20 Strep kit microtest. GBS positive samples were submitted to an antibiotic sensitivity test. Sociodemographic variables, gynecological-obstetrical antecedents, and perinatal outcomes were studied. The Epi-Info 3.3.2 programs from World Health Organization and Statistical Package for Social Sciences 14.0 version were used for the statistical analysis. The prevalence ratio was used as risk measure, considering p<0.05 as significance level, and accepting 80% power. RESULTS: the prevalence of SGB colonization in the mothers was 20.4%. There was no association between the sociodemographic variables or gynecological-obstetrical antecedents and a larger presence of SGB colonization. There were two cases of infectious outbreak among neonatal babies from colonized mothers, but hemocultures resulted negative. High resistance rates were found for the following antibiotics: clindamycin, 25.4%; erythromycin, 23.4% and ceftriaxone, 12.7%. CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of SGB colonization was high among the mothers, similar to what had been described in other studies. The elevated rates of antimicrobial resistance, especially to ceftriaxone indicate the need for further studies to determine the serology of this agent and of orientation protocols for rational use of antimicrobials.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):300-305
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008000600006
PURPOSE: to correlate the presence of yeast from the Candida genus in the oral and vaginal cavity of women with and without vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), with secretor IgA levels (IgAs) present in the saliva. METHODS: among the 51 women included, 13 presented VVC and 38 were the Control Group. An amount of 2.0 mL of saliva without stimulation was collected from each patient, plus vaginal secretion using a swab, which was then immersed in 2.0 mL of physiological solution. Samples were inseminated in Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol for isolation and counting of colonies, and the isolated ones, phenotypically identified. IgA has been quantified in the saliva of the women from both groups, by the ELISA technique. RESULTS: in the 13 patients with clinical and mycological diagnosis of VVC, the mean of Candida colony producing unities by milliliter of vaginal secretion (cpu/mL) was 52,723, and 23.8% of the patients presented colonization in the oral mucosa with lower amount of cup/mL (6,030). The levels of IgAs in saliva were lower in the group with VVC (DO mean: 0.3), as compared to the IgA levels of the Control Group (DO mean: 0.6). Eleven patients (37%) from the Control Group presented Candida colonization in the oral cavity, with a lower cup/mL mean, when compared to the VVC Group. The Control Group also presented a lower amount of cpu/mL (1,973) in the vaginal cavity, when compared to the VVC Group (52,942). CONCLUSIONS: these results have demonstrated that patients with clinical diagnosis of vaginal candidiasis presented a higher amount of Candida both in the vaginal and in the oral cavity, and presented lower levels of anti-Candida IgA in the saliva.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):312-321
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008000600008
Sexual dysfunction prevalence is high among women. However, doctors rarely ask about their patients' sexual life, because they feel uncomfortable or because their knowledge about investigation techniques is insufficient. The PLISSIT model, a useful tool to access human sexual function, is composed by four elements: permission, limited information, specific suggestions, and intensive therapy, that favor dialogue between the doctor and the patient allowing the access to the sexual complaints. The therapeutics consists of counseling measures, drug prescription, basic orientations about sexual function and interventions on anatomic and functional aspects of the sexual apparatus with positive impact in the woman's sexual life. The present review shows how to use it. In addition, many aspects of female sexual dysfunction are discussed, such as prevalence, diagnostic and treatment options for female sexual dysfunction.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):271-273
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):281-286
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008000600003
PURPOSE: to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with near miss and other severe maternal morbidity at a reference tertiary maternity. METHODS: this is a cross-sectional study on severe maternal morbidity at the Hospital e Maternidade Celso Pierro, Campinas, São Paulo, between October 2005 and July 2006, identified from infirmary, admission and delivery unit logbooks. Pregnant and post-partum women with severe maternal morbidity were identified according to clinical criteria proposed by Waterstone. Later, cases with more severe morbidity, called extremely severe maternal morbidity, were reclassified using Mantel criteria, based on organic dysfunction and clinical management. RESULTS: there were 114 severe maternal morbidity cases among 2,207 birth deliveries, with a ratio of other severe morbidity and extremely severe morbidity near miss of 44.9 and 6.8 cases/1,000 live births, respectively. Mean gestational age at delivery was 35 weeks, and 87% came from the reference area for the maternity service. Hypertension (severe pre-eclampsia) represented 96% of other severe morbidity, while hemorrhage represented 60% of all extremely severe cases, followed by hypertension. The prevalence of extremely severe morbidity among the severe morbidity cases was not associated with marital status, schooling, maternal age, type of delivery, parity, gestational age at birth and home place. CONCLUSIONS: the other morbidities were 6.6 times more frequent than near miss, and it was not possible to differentiate both groups by epidemiological risk factors.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):294-299
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008000600005
PURPOSE: to verify the ratio of intra-uterine gestation in patients submitted to recanalization in the Hospital Regional da Asa Sul in the last 30 years and to assess the rate of ectopic gestation of such procedures, the influence of age and time interval between salpingectomy and recanalization in the therapeutic success. METHODS: medical files of 71 patients were analyzed, after exclusion of those presenting other alterations that could influence fertility prognosis, plus the cases when recanalization was impossible. Variables collected were: occurrence of intra-uterine gestation, coming to term or to abortion; occurrence of ectopic pregnancy after salpingectomy; no-conception after reversion, women's age at the recanalization, and time interval between salpingectomy and its reversion. RESULTS: there has been a pregnancy rate of 67.6%, 73.2% for bilateral recanalization and 46.6% for unilateral, as well as 5.6% of ectopic pregnancies. Concerning the patients' age group, it was observed a pregnancy rate of 33%, from 20 to 24; 60%, from 25 to 29; 69.2%, from 30 to 34; 65%, from 35 to 39, and 42.9%, from 40 to 44 years old. The number of cases was small for age the groups 20 to 24 and 40 to 44 years old. The time interval between salpingectomy and recanalization (TISR) has varied from one to 18 years. TISR has been divided in three groups presenting the following pregnancy rates: one to six year interval, 59%; seven to 12, 66.6%; 13 to 18, 57%. CONCLUSIONS: gestation rate has been 67.6%, 5.6% being ectopic. In the comparison of age groups, there has been no significant influence of age on the therapeutic success of patients from 25 to 39 years old. Sterility duration did not influence the reversion results.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(6):306-311
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008000600007
PURPOSE: to investigate the relationship between pain perception (experimental pain threshold and tolerance, in response to ischemia and pressure) in young and healthy young women and female sexual hormone seric levels (estradiol and progesterone). METHODS: 18 volunteers have participated of this study, during three consecutive menstrual cycles. A pressure algometer and a manual dynamometer have been used to measure painful responses to pressure and ischemia algesic stimuli. Blood has been collected for assessment of both hormonal and painful variables, during three menstrual cycles, whose characterization was based on daily oral temperature record, a diary of the menstrual cycles with the onset and end of each cycle, and on estradiol and progesterone plasmatic levels. The average for the algesic variables measured has been compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey-Kramer's post-test, among the menstrual cycle phases (follicular, periovulatory, early luteal, late luteal and menstrual). The Pearson's test has been used for correlation analysis between algesic and hormonal variables. Statistical significance has been defined as p<0.05. RESULTS: no significant change in pain parameters among the menstrual cycle phases has been observed. Nevertheless, there have been significant negative correlations between progesterone and ischemic threshold (r=-0.23; p<0.01), and pressure tolerance (r=-0.23; p<0.01) at the early luteal phase. CONCLUSIONS: these results indicate that the increase in progesterone levels correlates with a decrease of ischemic threshold and pressure tolerance, suggesting that progesterone plays a role in the pain modulation during the early luteal phase.