Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2011
Comparative StudyChlorhexidine and alcohol versus povidone-iodine for antisepsis in gynecological surgery.
Surgical site infections (SSIs) cause severe morbidity and are associated with tremendous health costs. Skin antisepsis (cleansing) with chlorhexidine and alcohol solutions has demonstrated superiority to povidone-iodine in a variety of surgical interventions. Our objective was to determine if chlorhexidine and alcohol antisepsis protocol reduces the rate of SSIs in elective gynecological laparotomies compared with povidone-iodine antisepsis. ⋯ This retrospective study demonstrates that antisepsis with chlorhexidine and alcohol was associated with a significant reduction in the rate of SSIs compared to povidone-iodine antisepsis in patients undergoing elective gynecological laparotomies. This is of extreme clinical importance, as a change in antisepsis protocol can significantly reduce the morbidity and healthcare costs associated with patients undergoing elective gynecological surgery.
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Violence against women (VAW), including intimate partner violence (IPV) in its various forms (sexual, physical, or stalking), and childhood violence (sexual or physical) are common and are associated with depressive symptoms. We examined the association between these violence exposures and self-reported history of postpartum depression (PPD). ⋯ Adult VAW is associated with self-reported history of PPD. With an increase in the number of types of abuse experienced, this association became stronger. Our findings highlight the need for thorough VAW screening in obstetrical populations.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2011
Inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity in clinical trials: have we made progress?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993 requires that NIH-funded clinical trials include women and minorities as participants; other federal agencies have adopted similar guidelines. The objective of this study is to determine the current level of compliance with these guidelines for the inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity in federally funded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to compare the current level of compliance with that from 2004, which was reported previously. ⋯ Ensuring enhanced inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity entails the efforts of NIH, journal editors, and the researchers themselves.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2011
Menstrual cycle effects on perceived exertion and pain during exercise among sedentary women.
Increasing cardiovascular fitness through exercise participation among sedentary people is important for decreasing all-cause mortality. From an intervention perspective, identifying modifiable factors that maximize the successful initiation of exercise is of utmost importance. For women, cyclic hormonal variations can influence aspects of health and health behaviors, from smoking cessation efficacy to physiological responses to exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptive (HC) use on subjective response to an initial bout of moderate intensity exercise among previously sedentary women (n = 117). ⋯ Our results indicate that the use of HC and cycle phase influence sedentary women's subjective response to exercise. These results have important implications for the timing of exercise interventions aimed at increasing exercise among sedentary women.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2011
The leadership continuum: a framework for organizational and individual assessment relative to the advancement of women physicians and scientists.
In the United States, women have attained near gender equity at the entry stages in academic medicine; however, progress has been much slower at senior leadership levels. The paucity of women leaders inhibits the ability of academic medicine to adequately meet the needs of an increasingly diverse body of students, faculty, staff, and patients. Research indicates that until a critical mass of women with sustained success as leaders is achieved, it is unlikely that this deficit will be corrected. ⋯ Proactive, ongoing use of these frameworks can promote reflective dialogue and provide direction and accountability for institutions working to advance women into leadership positions.