Effects of acupressure at the hugo point (LI4) on labor pain and duration of delivery in nulliparous women

Introduction: Most women have experienced child birth and its pain, which is inevitable. If this pain is not controlled it leads to prolonged labor and injury to the mother and fetus. This study was conducted to identify the effect of acupressure on sanyinjiao and hugo points on delivery pain in nulliparous women. Methods:This was a randomized controlled clinical trial on 84 nulliparous women in hospitals of Ardebil, Iran. The participants were divided by randomized blocks of 4 and 6 into two groups. The intervention was in the form of applying pressure at sanyinjiao and hugo points based on different dilatations. The intensity of the pain before and after the intervention was recorded by visual scale of pain assessment. To determine the effect of pressure on the intensity of labor pain, analytical descriptive test was conducted in SPSS (version 13). Results:There was a significant decrease in mean intensity of pain after each intervention in the experimental group with different dilatations (4, 6, 8, and 10 cm). Moreover, the Student’s independent t-test results indicated that the mean intensity of pain in the experimental group after the intervention in all four dilatations was significantly lower than the control group. Repeated measures ANOVA test indicated that in both experimental and control groups in four time periods, there was a statistically significant difference. Conclusion:Acupressure on sanyinjiao and hugo points decreases the labor pain. Therefore, this method can be used effectively in the labor process

Effects of Self-directed Learning on the Early Symptoms of Menopause

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Menopause is one of the most critical periods in a woman&rsquo;s life. The symptoms that women experience during this stage are among the most important health care challenges. This study aimed to investigate the effect of self-directed learning on the early symptoms of menopause (primary outcome) and the frequency of hot flashes (secondary outcome). METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 124 postmenopausal women, whose medical records were available at Vali-Asr Health Center, were evaluated in Islamshahr city in 2014. The subjects were allocated to intervention (self-directed learning) and control groups (62 subjects per group) via random cluster sampling. For the purpose of training, three booklets, including the symptoms of menopause and methods of prevention, were given to participants on a specific day during three consecutive weeks. Early menopause symptoms were assessed using Greene scale (0-63) before and 4 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using generalized linear model (IRCT code: 201305063027N25). FINDINGS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics or the mean Greene score before the intervention. Four weeks after the intervention, the mean Greene score was significantly lower in the intervention group (95% confidence interval: 6.4-8.5, adjusted difference: 7.5), compared to the control group. Four weeks after the intervention, the frequency of hot flashes was significantly lower in the intervention group, compared to the control group (-1.9 to -6.6, -3.9) (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Self-directed learning could reduce the early symptoms of menopause. Therefore, this method of learning can be considered as a suitable way to enhance women&rsquo;s health and prepare them for dealing with the irritating symptoms of menopause via health intervention

Variation in menopausal vasomotor symptoms outcomes in clinical trials: A systematic review

Background There is substantial variation in how menopausal vasomotor symptoms are reported and measured among intervention studies. This has prevented meaningful comparisons between treatments and limited data synthesis. Objectives To review systematically the outcome reporting and measures used to assess menopausal vasomotor symptoms from randomised controlled trials of treatments. Search strategy We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to May 2018. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials with a primary outcome of menopausal vasomotor symptoms in women and a sample size of at least 20 women per study arm. Data collection and analysis Data about study characteristics, primary vasomotor-related outcomes and methods of measuring them. Main results The search identified 5591 studies, 214 of which were included. Forty-nine different primary reported outcomes were identified for vasomotor symptoms and 16 different tools had been used to measure these outcomes. The most commonly reported outcomes were frequency (97/214), severity (116/214), and intensity (28/114) of vasomotor symptoms or a composite of these outcomes (68/214). There was little consistency in how the frequency and severity/intensity of vasomotor symptoms were defined. Conclusions There is substantial variation in how menopausal vasomotor symptoms have been reported and measured in treatment trials. Future studies should include standardised outcome measures which reflect the priorities of patients, clinicians, and researchers. This is most effectively achieved through the development of a Core Outcome Set. This systematic review is the first step towards development of a Core Outcome Set for menopausal vasomotor symptoms. Tweetable summary Menopausal hot flushes and night sweats have been reported in 49 different ways in clinical research. A core outcome set is urgently required