Is drug-induced bone loss acceptable in premenopausal women? A practical fracture risk modeling exercise.

Premenopausal bone loss increases fracture risk later in life. Depending on peak values, varying degrees of bone mass and microarchitectural loss can be tolerated. We suggest that risk-benefit assessments of drugs that cause premenopausal bone loss be individualized considering baseline status and subsequent BMD and TBS loss. INTRODUCTION: It is logical that drug-induced loss of bone mass and microarchitecture in young adults increase fracture risk later in life. However, no existing data quantify how drug-induced bone loss in younger adults impacts fracture risk later in life. As such, no guidance exists to address the question "How much, if any, drug-induced bone loss in premenopausal women is acceptable?" Thus, we performed a systematic fracture risk modeling exercise examining various degrees of bone loss, and estimated the impact on 10-year major osteoporosis-related fracture risk later in life. METHODS: The FRAX® tool was used in conjunction with BMD and trabecular bone score (TBS) adjustment to estimate major osteoporotic fracture probability later in life resulting from varying degrees of hypothetical premenopausal drug-induced BMD and TBS loss. The resulting 10-year fracture probabilities were assessed against the US and the UK treatment guidance to determine the amount of premenopausal BMD and TBS loss that would result in a recommendation to initiate medical treatment to reduce fracture risk later in life that would not otherwise have been recommended in the absence of premenopausal bone loss. RESULTS: For women whose peak bone mass is between the 5th and 50th percentiles, varying degrees of BMD and TBS loss could be tolerated without reaching treatment thresholds. The degree of tolerable bone loss was primarily dependent on baseline bone status. Those whose peak BMD and TBS are in the 50th percentile or above could tolerate a 10% reduction in BMD and TBS without reaching treatment thresholds by age 75, whereas those in the 5th percentile would reach treatment thresholds by age 75 with no drug-induced reduction in BMD or TBS. Women in the 25th percentile could tolerate a 4% BMD loss and 2% TBS decline without reaching treatment thresholds by age 75. CONCLUSIONS: For clinicians and regulatory bodies to assess the consequence of drug-induced premenopausal bone loss, we propose an individualized approach considering both loss of BMD and TBS in concert with baseline bone status and the resultant effect on fracture risk in later life using the assumption that such losses are irreversible.

A comparative study of the fetal electrocardiogram recorded by the STAN an Nottingham systems.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the T:QRS ratio recorded by the STAN and Nottingham fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) monitors. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: London teaching hospital delivery suite and research unit. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: The T:QRS ratios generated by the STAN and Nottingham FECG monitors were simultaneously recorded and compared using signals generated from a computer-produced ECG signal and signals from 11 term fetuses recorded during labour. RESULTS: There was an acceptable level of agreement between the two systems with the computer-generated signals, but it was not clinically acceptable with the signals from the fetuses recorded during labour. Disagreements in the T:QRS values were probably due to differences in the reference points for the measurement of the S-T segment and T-wave height. CONCLUSION: The different points of reference for measurement of S-T segment and T-wave height can explain poor agreement between the two methods of FECG waveform analysis. The suggested adopted points of reference are those corresponding to adult electrocardiographic methodology.

An audit of general practitioner requests for pelvic ultrasound: analysis of referral patterns and outcome.

OBJECTIVES: 1. To assess the information supplied by general practitioners on the gynaecological ultrasound request form and to determine how this information influences the interpretation of scans; and 2. To examine the influence of scans on the subsequent management of patients both by general practitioners and, where relevant, by hospital gynaecologists. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of gynaecological ultrasound requests made by general practitioners. Postal questionnaire and assessment of outcome according to general practitioners' records and, where appropriate, the hospital notes. SETTING: A London teaching hospital gynaecological ultrasound department and associated general practices. SUBJECTS: Four hundred ninety-eight women referred by general practitioners for a gynaecological ultrasound scan over a one year period (1990). RESULTS: The 498 requests for gynaecological ultrasound scans included 472 primary diagnostic referrals. Seventy-one percent of general practitioners replied to the questionnaires. Overall, 46% of the scans were normal, but the proportion of normal scans fell to 21% if the date of the last menstrual period and a pregnancy test result were included on the form. Forty per cent of women scanned subsequently were referred for hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: General practitioners would appear to use the ultrasound service in a rational way and therefore there can be no justification for not allowing them open access. The positive diagnostic yield can be further improved if time is taken to supply simple relevant information which may be facilitated by a specific request form.

Coping with extraperitoneal insufflation during laparoscopy: a new technique.

For most laparoscopists, pneumoperitoneum is essential before introducing a trocar into the peritoneal cavity. Extraperitoneal insufflation is one of the most common complications of laparoscopy; it is difficult to correct and may result in abandonment of the procedure. A technique for dealing with extraperitoneal insufflation is described. We have used this technique successfully on 11 consecutive patients. The gynecologist uses the view created by the extraperitoneal gas to place the Veress needle correctly into the peritoneal cavity. Insufflation proceeds under direct vision; the peritoneum will rise and obliterate the extraperitoneal space. This technique may be useful particularly when alternative methods are contraindicated.