Perineal Pads Research Articles

Unstimulated Gluteus Maximus Sphincteroplasty for Bowel Incontinence.

Background Gluteus maximus, by virtue of its continued adjunct contraction with the anal sphincter, has many characteristics and histomorphological features mimicking type I musculature. Hence, anal sphincter replacement therapy with gluteus maximus has all avenues for lasting successful results. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of unstimulated gluteus maximus sphincteroplasty for anal incontinence reconstruction and neosphincter reconstruction in perineal colostomy cases. Methods From March 2015 to March 2020, the records of patients who underwent gluteus maximus sphincteroplasty for fecal incontinence were analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. The mean age was 31.55 years. Eleven patients (females = 4, males = 7) underwent anal incontinence reconstruction. All these cases were followed up for an average period of 28.46 months. Results Good continence was observed in all patients with an average Cleveland Clinic Florida Faecal Incontinence Score of 3.18 ( p = 0.0035). At the end of the follow-up period, the average median resting pressure found via manometry was 44.64 mm Hg, and the average median squeeze pressure was 103.55mm Hg. The mean of the average continence contraction time at the end of the follow-up period was found to be 3.64 minutes. None of our patients had complete continence failure. None of our patients used perineal pads or made any lifestyle alterations at the end of the follow-up period. Most of the patients expressed satisfactory continence. Conclusion Despite being untrained with implantable electrodes, the gluteus maximus muscle produced very good continence results with our way of construct. In addition, with its good lumen occluding effect, it achieves good resting and squeeze anal pressure around the anal canal/bowel with trivial reeducation. Hence, it has become our institution's procedure of choice for anal sphincter reconstruction.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Related Factors in Iranian Female Nurses.

Background:Lower Urinary Tract Symptom (LUTS) are common among female nurses. High levels of job stress in nurses may be associated with the prevalence of these symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of LUTS and factors related to these symptoms in female nurses.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study in which 460 nurses and nursing assistants participated was conducted. A questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic data, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, and Toileting Behavior – Women's Elimination Behavior Scale was used. Data analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistical tests at a significant level of p < 0.05.Results:The highest and lowest scores of LUTS were related to the urgency and nocturnal enuresis with a mean (SD) score of 1.85 (1.03) and 0.05 (0.26), respectively. Concerning toileting behaviors, the highest score was for the place preference for voiding with a mean (SD) score of 4.13 (0.66), which correlated with LUTS. Among controllable variables, years of practice, urinary tract infections, use of perineal pads for urinary leakage, lifting heavy objects at work, and medical history were identified as predictors of LUTS (p < 0.05).Conclusions:LUTS was highly prevalent in the female nurses. The results revealed that unhealthy toileting behaviors may contribute to the prevalence of LUTS. Early identification of these symptoms and the development of an educational intervention program to enhance the knowledge of healthy toileting behaviors may prevent the occurrence of urinary symptoms.

Warm perineal compresses during the second stage of labor for reducing perineal trauma: A meta-analysis

ObjectivePerineal trauma may have a negative impact on women’s lives as it has been associated with perineal pain, urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was to evaluate the effectiveness of warm compresses during the second stage of labor in reducing perineal trauma. MethodsElectronic databases were searched from inception of each database to May 2019. Inclusion criteria were randomized trials comparing warm compresses (i.e. intervention group) with no warm compresses (i.e. control group) during the second stage of labor. Types of participants included pregnant women planning to have a spontaneous vaginal birth at term with a singleton in a cephalic presentation. The primary outcome was the incidence of intact perineum. Meta-analysis was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration methodology with results being reported as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). ResultsSeven trials, including 2103 participants, were included in this meta-analysis. Women assigned to the intervention group received warm compresses made from clean washcloths or perineal pads immersed in warm tap water. These were held against the woman’s perineum during and in between pushes in second stage. Warm compresses usually started when the baby’s head began to distend the perineum or when there was active fetal descent in the second stage of labor. We found a higher rate of intact perineum in the intervention group compared to the control group (22.4% vs 15.4%; RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.74); a lower rate of third degree tears (1.9% vs 5.0%; RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.64), fourth degree tears (0.0% vs 0.9%; RR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.86) third and fourth degree tears combined (1.9% vs 5.8%; RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.56) and episiotomy (10.4% vs 17.1%; RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.74). ConclusionWarm compresses applied during the second stage of labor increase the incidence of intact perineum and lower the risk of episiotomy and severe perineal trauma.

To Pack or Not to Pack? A Randomized Trial of Vaginal Packing After Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery.

Placement of vaginal packing after pelvic reconstructive surgery is common; however, little evidence exists to support the practice. Furthermore, patients have reported discomfort from the packs. We describe pain and satisfaction in women treated with and without vaginal packing. This institutional review board-approved randomized-controlled trial enrolled patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy with prolapse repairs. The primary outcome was visual analog scales (VASs) for pain on postoperative day 1. Allocation to "packing" ("P") or "no-packing" ("NP") arms occurred intraoperatively at the end of surgery. Visual analog scales regarding pain and satisfaction were completed early on postoperative day 1 before packing removal. Visual analog scale scores for pain, satisfaction, and bother attributable to packing were recorded before discharge. All packing and perineal pads were weighed to calculate a "postoperative vaginal blood loss." Perioperative data were collected from the hospital record. Our sample size estimation required 74 subjects. Ninety-three women were enrolled. After exclusions, 77 were randomized (P, 37; NP, 40). No differences were found in surgical information, hemoglobin levels, or narcotic use between groups. However, "postoperative vaginal blood loss" was greater in packed subjects (P < 0.001). Visual analog scale scores for pain before removal of packing (P, 41.6 vs NP, 46.3; P = 0.43] and before discharge (P, 35.0 vs NP, 40.0; P = 0.43] were not significantly different between treatment arms. Likewise, VAS scores for satisfaction before removal of packing (P, 81.0 vs NP, 90.0; P = 0.08] and before discharge (P, 90.0 vs NP, 90.5; P = 0.60] were not significantly different. Packed patients noted lower nursing verbal pain scores (P = 0.04) and used less ketorolac (P = 0.01). Bother from packing was low overall. Although there was no difference based on VAS, women receiving vaginal packing had lower nursing documented pain and used less ketorolac than packed women. Vaginal packing may provide benefit and can remain part of the surgical practice.

Consequences of Anastomotic Leak After Restorative Proctectomy for Cancer

Long-term consequences of anastomotic leak after restorative proctectomy for rectal cancer, in terms of bowel function and quality of life, have been poorly delineated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of anastomotic leak, when intestinal continuity can still be maintained, on bowel function and quality of life in patients undergoing rectal cancer resection with low colorectal or coloanal anastomoses. From 1980 to 2010, 864 patients undergoing restorative resection for rectal cancers were identified from a prospective cancer database. Anastomotic leak detected by a combination of clinical, radiographic, and operative means was diagnosed in 52 (6%) patients. Patients with anastomotic leak were compared with those without anastomotic leak for functional outcomes and quality of life at 1 year and most recent follow-up (mean 3.2 years) by using Short-Form 36 questionnaires (physical and mental component scales) and the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index. American Society of Anesthesiologists' class (p = 0.48), cancer stage (p = 0.39), and the use of neoadjuvant therapy (p = 0.4) were similar in the 2 groups. Patients with anastomotic leak were younger (56 years vs 61 years; p = 0.007), more likely to be male (82% vs 64%; p = 0.008), and more likely to have undergone proximal diversion at proctectomy (51.9% vs 26.6%; p = 0.001). One year after proctectomy, patients with anastomotic leak had worse physical and mental component scores (p = 0.01), more frequent daytime (p = 0.001) and nighttime bowel movements (p = 0.03), and worse control of solid stool (p = 0.01) in comparison with those without an anastomotic leak. At most recent follow-up (leak, 3.3 years vs no leak, 2.4 years), patients with an anastomotic leak reported worse mental component scores and increased use of perineal pads. Anastomotic leak after restorative resection for rectal cancer leads to early adverse consequences on bowel function and quality of life even when anastomotic continuity can be maintained. These findings may help counsel patients and clinicians regarding anticipated outcomes over the long term.

Safety of lavender oil in the treatment of perineal trauma

Essential oil therapy in wound care is gaining increasing popularity. This largely consumer-driven trend is currently being incorporated into the care of postnatal women experiencing perineal discomfort. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some midwives recommend the use of perineal pads pre-spotted with an essential oil blend containing lavender oil. Currently, the topical use of essential oils as a complementary therapy for perineal wound management is not underpinned by empirical evidence. A review of the existing literature on lavender oil in wound care has been conducted in an attempt to explore the safety of current practices. This review highlights that currently there remains limited evidence to support the direct topical use of pure lavender oil as an effective and safe treatment or comfort measure upon the perineum.

Anal plug for faecal incontinence.

Despite the availability of pharmacological, behavioural and surgical treatments for faecal incontinence, many patients remain symptomatic. There are few devices designed specifically to cope with this, and perineal pads are inefficient and unacceptable for many patients. This study aimed to evaluate a new device in patients with intractable faecal incontinence. Two sizes of a purpose-designed anal plug were evaluated in 20 patients with intractable faecal incontinence for solid or liquid stool. Each plug size was tested for 2 weeks, with patients completing a structured questionnaire after each size. The majority [14/20] could not tolerate a plug due to discomfort. Four patients (20%) wished to continue to use a plug on a regular basis after the study, and two others on an occasional basis. However, for this minority who could tolerate a plug, it was highly successful at controlling faecal incontinence. There was no clear preference for the smaller or larger plug. There was no association between comfort in using the plug and anorectal sensitivity as measured by electrophysiological tests. It was not possible to predict which patients would benefit from plug use. The anal plug is effective in controlling faecal incontinence and is well tolerated in a minority of patients. Evaluation quickly reveals whether the patient will find it an effective and acceptable option. This device therefore offers a further management option for patients with faecal incontinence.

Reconstruction of rectovaginal fistula with sphincter disruption by combining rectal mucosal advancement flap and anal sphincteroplasty

This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining advancement flap with sphincteroplasty in patients symptomatic with rectovaginal fistula and anal sphincter disruption. Twenty patients with rectovaginal fistulas and anal sphincter disruptions after vaginal deliveries underwent combined rectal mucosal advancement flap and anal sphincteroplasty between July 1986 and July 1993. The mean age of the patients was 30 (range, 18-40) years and the mean duration of symptoms was 54.8 weeks (range, 7 weeks to 6 years). In addition to mucosal advancement flap repair, 13 patients underwent two-layer repair of anal sphincters (with reapproximation of the puborectalis in 8 of the patients); 6 patients underwent one-layer overlap repair of anal sphincters (with reapproximation of the puborectalis in 2 of the patients); and 1 patient underwent reapproximation of internal anal sphincter alone because squeeze pressures were adequate, as determined by anal manometry. Postoperatively, vaginal discharge of stool and flatus was eliminated entirely in all 20 patients. Perfect anal continence of stool and flatus was restored in 14 patients (70 percent). Incontinence was improved but not eliminated in six patients (4 incontinent to liquid stool and 2 to flatus), and two patients required perineal pads. Subjectively, 19 patients (95 percent) reported the result as excellent or good. There were no complications. The combination of mucosal advancement flap and anal sphincteroplasty is a safe and highly effective procedure for correcting rectovaginal fistula with sphincter disruption after obstetrical injuries.

Management of recurrent rectal prolapse.

Many operations have been described for the management of rectal prolapse. Despite an overall recurrence rate of greater than 15 percent, few reviews address how to deal with this problem. This report summarizes our experience with recurrent rectal prolapse and includes suggestions for reoperative management of failed repairs from both abdominal and perineal approaches. Fourteen patients (3 male) ranging in age from 22 to 92 (mean, 68) years underwent operative correction of recurrent rectal prolapse. Average time from initial operation to recurrence was 14 (range, 6-60) months. Initial operations (before recurrence) were as follows: perineal proctectomy and levatorplasty (10), anal encirclement (2), Delorme's procedure (1), and anterior resection (1). Operative procedures performed for recurrence were as follows: perineal proctectomy and levatorplasty (7), sacral rectopexy (abdominal approach; 3), anterior resection with rectopexy (2), Delorme's procedure (1), and anal encirclement (1). Average length of follow-up was 50 (range, 9-115) months. No further episodes of complete rectal prolapse were observed during this period. Preoperatively, three patients were noted to be incontinent to the extent that necessitated the use of perineal pads. The reoperative procedures failed to restore fecal continence in any of these three individuals. One patient died in the postoperative period after anal encirclement from an unrelated cause. Surgical management of recurrent rectal prolapse can be expected to alleviate the prolapse, but not necessarily fecal incontinence. Perineal proctectomies can be safely repeated. Resectional procedures may result in an ischemic segment between two anastomoses, unless the surgeon can resect a previous anastomosis in the repeat procedure. Nonresectional procedures such as the Delorme's procedure should be strongly considered in the management of recurrent rectal prolapse if a resectional procedure was performed initially and failed.

Evaluation of the Home Pad Test in the Investigation of Female Urinary Incontinence

Objective To evaluate the use of the home pad test in the management of patients with urinary dysfunction with reference to feasibility, normal data, reproducibility, compliance and accuracy when compared to video urodynamics. Design A prospective study to determine 1. the accuracy of weighing pads by healthcare workers compared to weighing by patients with a spring balance; 2. the effects of evaporation; 3. the pad weight increase in continent women; 4. the compliance over 194 tests in terms of acceptability and feasability; 5. the reproducibility in 112 women for the 24 h and 48 h tests, 6. the comparison with video urodynamic studies in 149 patients. Setting A London teaching hospital. Main outcome measures Coefficient of variation and mean deviation analysis were employed to determine the accuracy of measurement. Percentage changes in standardised wet pad weights over a period of 8 weeks were used to determine the rate of weight loss due to evaporation. The percentage of patients completing the test satisfactorily was documented. The increase in the weights of all the pads worn during the test period was measured in continent volunteers and incontinent patients. Video urodynamic diagnoses were used as the Gold Standard for comparison. Results Twelve perineal pads were weighed by 15 healthcare workers with a resulting coefficient of variation equal to 1.55% (standard error = 0.09%). The mean deviation between patient-measured pad weights and staff-measured weights was 49% (SD = 132%). Pads wetted with saline showed no difference in weight after 1 week and less than 5% change in weight after 8 weeks, with the upper 95% confidence limit of less than 10% loss. The mean pad weight increase over 48 h in continent women was 7.13 g (SD = 4.32 g) giving a 95% upper confidence level of less than 15 g. Compliance was reasonably high with 161 (83%) carrying out the test perfectly. Test-retest analysis of the 24 h and 48 h tests showed a strong relationship with correlation coefficients of 0.90 and 0.94 respectively. The reproducibility was also good, with differences as a percentage of the mean between the first and second test being 6.9% and 1.6% for the 24 h and 48 h tests respectively. There was good concordance when the urodynamic study data was compared with pad weight data in terms of incontinence compared with no incontinence (kappa = 0.65), but a high false positive rate was detected for the pads. When eight of these patients with a false positive pad test had repeat video urodynamic studies, six were found to have detrusor instability on the second study. Conclusions The home pad test combined with frequency volume chart documentation is an easy test to perform. It is quite robust and reasonably reproducible. This test should be added to complement the routine urodynamic tests and may have a role in detecting occult detrusor instability.

Evaluation of the home pad test in the investigation of female urinary incontinence

To evaluate the use of the home pad test in the management of patients with urinary dysfunction with reference to feasibility, normal data, reproducibility, compliance and accuracy when compared to video urodynamics. A prospective study to determine 1. the accuracy of weighing pads by healthcare workers compared to weighing by patients with a spring balance; 2. the effects of evaporation; 3. the pad weight increase in continent women; 4. the compliance over 194 tests in terms of acceptability and feasibility; 5. the reproducibility in 112 women for the 24 h and 48 h tests, 6. the comparison with video urodynamic studies in 149 patients. A London teaching hospital. Coefficient of variation and mean deviation analysis were employed to determine the accuracy of measurement. Percentage changes in standardised wet pad weights over a period of 8 weeks were used to determine the rate of weight loss due to evaporation. The percentage of patients completing the test satisfactorily was documented. The increase in the weights of all pads worn during the test period was measured in continent volunteers and incontinent patients. Video urodynamic diagnoses were used as the Gold Standard for comparison. Twelve perineal pads were weighed by 15 healthcare workers with a resulting coefficient of variation equal to 1.55% (standard error = 0.09%). The mean deviation between patient-measured pad weights and staff-measured weights was 49% (SD = 132%). Pads wetted with saline showed no difference in weight after 1 week and less than 5% change in weight after 8 weeks, with the upper 95% confidence limit of less than 10% loss. The mean pad weight increase over 48 h in continent women was 7.13 g (SD = 4.32 g) giving a 95% upper confidence level of less than 15 g. Compliance was reasonably high with 161 (83%) carrying out the test perfectly. Test-retest analysis of the 24 h and 48 h tests showed a strong relationship with correlation coefficients of 0.90 and 0.94 respectively. The reproducibility was also good, with differences as a percentage of the mean between the first and second test being 6.9% and 1.6% for the 24 h and 48 h tests respectively. There was good concordance when the urodynamic study data was compared with pad weight data in terms of incontinence compared with no incontinence (kappa = 0.65), but a high false positive rate was detected for the pads. When eight of these patients with a false positive pad test had repeat video urodynamic studies, six were found to have detrusor instability on the second study. The home pad test combined with frequency volume chart documentation is an easy test to perform. It is quite robust and reasonably reproducible. This test should be added to complement the routine urodynamic tests and may have a role in detecting occult detrusor instability.

Comparison of “subjective” and “objective” measures of severity of urinary incontinence in women

The aims of this study were to compare "subjective" measures of severity of urinary incontinence to similar "objective" measures, establish their statistical correlation, and determine the effect of specific urodynamic diagnosis on such correlations. Baseline data was available from 265 women entered into a clinical trial studying pharmacologic and behavioral interventions for urinary incontinence. The "subjective" measures of incontinence were obtained by patient recall during history taking and included: the number of incontinent episodes in 1 week, the number of perineal pads used during 1 week, and the number of clothing changes required due to wetness. The "objective" measures of severity included: the number of incontinent episodes per week as recorded on a 7-day diary, the number of perineal pads used per week, also recorded on a diary, and the amount of fluid lost during a standardized pad test. Analysis consisted of Pearson correlations and linear regressions to determine equations for the prediction of objective measurement on the basis of the corresponding subjective measure. Significant positive correlations were seen between "subjective" and "objective" measurements for the comparisons of number of weekly incontinent episodes (R = 0.63), and for the weekly number of pads used (R = 0.81). The comparison between the number of clothing changes and the amount of fluid lost during pad testing was also significantly but less strongly correlated (R = 0.24). For the correlations between subjective and objective determinations of urinary incontinent episodes and for those between clothing changes and pad testing, the urodynamic diagnosis had no effect on the correlation coefficients, but did have a statistically significant effect on the intercept.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The distal urethral electrical conductance test: Standardisation of method and clinical reliability

AbstractUrethral electrical conductance was recorded throughout standard exercise test in a group of 40 women with known urinary incontinence. Analysis of the results has shown it to be of little diagnostic value (sensitivity = 33%). It is, however, a sensitive means of detecting leakage (sensitivity = 97%), and a comparison of the total change in conductance during the exercise test with weighed perineal pads shows this parameter to be a reasonable index of the severity of leakage.

Quantification of urine loss by weighing perineal pads. Observation on the exercise regimen.

Two variations on a test for quantifying urine loss in patients with urinary incontinence were compared. In the first series (Padtest 1), 335 patients underwent a 2-h pad weighing test. A fluid load of 1 litre was administered and followed 1 h later by six separate exercises, each lasting 10 min. One of six sanitary towels was worn during each exercise. Each pad was weighed before and after use to provide information about the severity of the incontinence. In the second series (Padtest 2), 104 patients were studied. The test took the same format but the exercises were rearranged in an attempt to provide information about the importance of the individual exercises. Hand washing was found to be a very provocative test both in women with unstable and those with stable bladders. The order in which the exercises were performed did not influence the overall identification of incontinence in the 2-h test period, and this supports the conclusion that the optimum length of the test is 2 h.

Analysis of the pattern of urine loss in women with incontinence as measured by weighing perineal pads.

Three hundred and thirty-five women with urinary incontinence underwent a pad-weighing test for quantifying urine loss. Each one wore a series of pre-weighed sanitary towels for a total of 1 h. The pads were weighed again after use. The test results gave information about the severity of the incontinence which was not easy to obtain either from patient interview or from clinical examination. The type of activity was the main factor determining urine loss, although patients with detrusor instability lost more on average than the others. Voiding during the test period did not appear to influence the overall test results. Reproducibility of the test has been studied in 50 patients.

Surgical Reconstruction for Complete Urinary Incontinence: A 10 To 22-year Followup

A 22-year followup study was performed on 27 children and 7 adults treated surgically for complete urinary incontinence. The etiology of the incontinence was iatrogenic, traumatic or congenital. The patients had undergone a urethral reconstruction that created a physiological sphincter by ureteral reimplantation and trigonal tubularization. Success was defined if a patient was dry with no leakage or stress urinary incontinence and partial success was noted if the patient wore 1 to 3 perineal pads per day that were moist to damp. Of 7 adults 4 (57 per cent) were dry and 2 (29 per cent) were considered a partial success, compared to 19 (70 per cent) and 1 (3 per cent), respectively, of 27 children. Postoperatively, no significant residual urine was present and the excretory urograms were normal. Failures and alternative treatments for failures are discussed.

Reproducibility and reliability of urinary incontinence assessment with a 60 min test.

Urinary incontinence was objectively assessed in 50 patients. The urine loss was measured as weight gain of perineal pads worn during a 60 min standardized activity period. The test was initiated by drinking 500 ml (not milk and soda water). The patients were instructed not to void before and during the test. After the test, the voided volume was collected. The test proved handy, reproducible and reliable compared to the subjective day-time incontinence. Prior to the actual test, 15 patients participated in a pilot study having an initial voiding and a test period of 3 1/2 hours. This longer test period was not found practical and the gain in positive diagnosis was minimal compared to the disadvantages with a higher number of unscheduled voidings.

Use of obstetric perineal pads in collection of amniotic fluid in patients with rupture of the membranes

Use of obstetric perineal pads in collection of amniotic fluid in patients with rupture of the membranes

Failure to Communicate: The Legal Side

Even when a nurse knows that a physician will not alter the treatment plan, failure to communicate essential patient findings, or even a substantial delay may impose liability. Goff v. Doctor's General Hospital of San Jose is a classic case. A pregnant woman entered the hospital and delivered at 7:00 P.M. At 9:30 P.M., the evening nurse contacted the physician to inform him that the patient was bleeding too much. The physician responded that the amount of bleeding, as described, was not excessive. He instructed the nurse to determine excessive bleeding by checking the perineal pads at timed intervals. The nurse assessed the bleeding accordingly, but did not take any vital signs. Although she judged that the second perineal pad check seemed to indicate excessive saturation, she did not call the physician again because, as she later testified, he would not have come.

Prolapse of the uterus associated with pregnancy

Four cases of prolapse of the uterus associated with pregnancy are presented. These occurred among 16,542 obstetrical admissions at the University Hospitals, Iowa City, Iowa, between July, 1940, and January, 1956.Eighteen other cases occurring in the same years were collected from the literature.In recent years, there has been a shift toward conservative treatment. Pessaries, bed rest, vaginal packs, and perineal pads were the treatments of choice.The frequency of abortion was much less than previously reported.There were no maternal deaths reported. The fetal death rate was quite low. The puerperium was normal in all cases; there was no puerperal morbidity or other complications. One may attribute this improvement to the advent and use of antibiotics and the conservative treatment used by different authors.