Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
ReviewA Review for Clinical Practice in the Treatment and Prevention of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women over Age 65.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a pervasive, costly, and dangerous cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, which can lead to further complications if they become recurrent or progress to urosepsis. Recurrent UTI is a particular concern among postmenopausal females because of increased risk factors and decreased estrogen levels, leading to changes in the urogenital epithelium and subsequently causing alterations in the urogenital microbiome. Prevention strategies for recurrent UTIs are often incorporated into patient-centered care plans, but finding the right management can be difficult for older women since many of the common treatment options have contraindications and adverse side effects. ⋯ Nonantibiotic options range from readily accessible drugstore remedies to experimental vaccines, which all are accompanied by certain advantages and disadvantages. Appropriate management plans can help to reduce symptoms and poor outcomes among older females. In addition, we hope future studies continue to investigate the proper dosing and routes for optimal management in this aging female population.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
Developing and Implementing a Patient-Centered Opioid Prescribing Algorithm among Gynecological Oncology Patients.
Background: The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis. However, opioid prescription recommendations have not been established in gynecological oncology, and guidelines that incorporate patient-reported pain are lacking. Objectives: The article aims to evaluate prescribing patterns, utilization, and patient-reported pain control in gynecological oncology patients at a large tertiary academic center. ⋯ Conclusions: Opioids were substantially overprescribed in gynecological oncology patients undergoing hysterectomy. Our study found that the surgical route and last 24-hour MME inpatient usage were reliable predictors of outpatient opioid use. We developed and implemented a standardized opioid prescription algorithm that was validated by comparing the pain control measures in the two phases.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
The Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Provision and Unintended Pregnancy.
Background: Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are considered unintended (mistimed or unwanted), and this rate is even higher among younger and lower income women. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) dependent coverage provision may have influenced the frequency of unintended pregnancies by increasing accessibility to and affordability of family planning services among young adults. Furthermore, the impact of this provision may differ by young adult income level as those with lower income are less likely to be insured and thus more likely to benefit from this provision. ⋯ Results: We found evidence that the dependent coverage provision was associated with a -7.4 percentage point reduction (95% CI: -13.5, -1.3) in the prevalence of unintended pregnancy among young adults with lower income (<100% of the federal poverty level). There was limited evidence, however, that the provision was associated with unintended pregnancy among young adults with higher income levels. Conclusions: These findings suggest the ACA dependent coverage provision may have reduced unintended pregnancy among a particularly high-risk group (i.e., young adults with lower income).