Reproductive health
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Reproductive health · May 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialCOHELLP: collaborative randomized controlled trial on corticosteroids in HELLP syndrome.
Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome is one of the most severe forms of preeclampsia and aggravates both maternal and perinatal prognosis. The systematic review available in Cochrane Library compared corticosteroid (dexamethasone, betamethasone, or prednisolone) given during pregnancy, just after delivery or in the postnatal period, or both before and after birth, with placebo or no treatment. Those receiving steroids showed significantly greater improvement in platelet counts which was greater for those receiving dexamethasone than those receiving betamethasone. There was no clear evidence of any effect of corticosteroids on substantive clinical outcomes. These benefits appear to be greater in Class I HELLP syndrome. ⋯ The study is a triple blind randomized controlled trial including women with class I HELLP syndrome, and exclusion criteria were dexamethasone use in the last 15 days before diagnosis of HELLP syndrome; chronic use of corticosteroids; chronic diseases that alter laboratory parameters of HELLP Syndrome, such as chronic liver disease or purpura, patients unable to consent (coma or critical clinical condition) and without accompanying persons that may consent to study participation.Eligible patients will be invited to participate and those who agree will be included in the study and receive placebo or dexamethasone according to a random list of numbers and subjects will receive the study medication every 12 hours for two days.During the study the women will be subject to strict control of blood pressure and urine output. Laboratory tests will be performed at regular intervals during treatment and 24 hours and 48 hours after its suspension. If worsening of clinical or laboratory variables is observed, a rescue scheme of dexamethasone will be administrated. This proposal has already obtained approval of the local Institutional Review Board of the coordinating center (IMIP, Recife, Brazil), all other participating centers and of the National Council for Ethics in Research (CONEP) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
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Reproductive health · May 2013
The sexual quality of life-female (SQOL-F) questionnaire: translation and psychometric properties of the Iranian version.
Female sexual dysfunction is a common condition that extremely affects reproductive health and quality of life. To assess this health condition, a valid and reliable questionnaire is required. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire in Iran. ⋯ The findings from this study suggest that the Iranian version of SQOL-F questionnaire has good psychometric properties and it will be useful to assess the female sexual quality of life in reproductive health care settings.