Prevalence and frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms are associated with availability to train and compete: a study of 6812 exercising women recruited using the Strava exercise app.

OBJECTIVES: The menstrual cycle can affect sports participation and exercise performance. There are very few data on specific menstrual cycle symptoms (symptoms during various phases of the cycle, not only during menstruation) experienced by exercising women. We aimed to characterise the most common symptoms, as well as the number and frequency of symptoms, and evaluate whether menstrual cycle symptoms are associated with sporting outcomes. METHODS: 6812 adult women of reproductive age (mean age: 38.3 (8.7) years) who were not using combined hormonal contraception were recruited via the Strava exercise app user database and completed a 39-part survey. Respondents were from seven geographical areas, and the questions were translated and localised to each region (Brazil, n=892; France, n=1355; Germany, n=839; Spain, n=834; UK and Ireland, n=1350; and USA, n=1542). The survey captured exercise behaviours, current menstrual status, presence and frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms, medication use for symptoms, perceived effects of the menstrual cycle on exercise and work behaviours, and history of hormonal contraception use. We propose a novel Menstrual Symptom index (MSi) based on the presence and frequency of 18 commonly reported symptoms (range 0-54, where 54 would correspond to all 18 symptoms each occurring very frequently). RESULTS: The most prevalent menstrual cycle symptoms were mood changes/anxiety (90.6%), tiredness/fatigue (86.2%), stomach cramps (84.2%) and breast pain/tenderness (83.1%). After controlling for body mass index, training volume and age, the MSi was associated with a greater likelihood of missing or changing training (OR=1.09 (CI 1.08 to 1.10); p≤0.05), missing a sporting event/competition (OR=1.07 (CI 1.06 to 1.08); p≤0.05), absenteeism from work/academia (OR=1.08 (CI 1.07 to 1.09); p≤0.05) and use of pain medication (OR=1.09 (CI 1.08 to 1.09); p≤0.05). CONCLUSION: Menstrual cycle symptoms are very common in exercising women, and women report that these symptoms compromise their exercise participation and work capacity. The MSi needs to be formally validated (psychometrics); at present, it provides an easy way to quantify the frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms.

Emergency ultrasound in the detection of pediatric long-bone fractures.

BACKGROUND: Long-bone fractures represent one of the most commonly sustained injuries following trauma and account for nearly 4% of emergency department visits in the United States each year. These fractures are associated with a significant risk of bleeding and neurovascular compromise. Delays in their identification and treatment can lead to loss of limb and even death. Although emergency physicians currently rely predominantly on radiography for the examination of long-bone injuries, emergency ultrasound has several advantages over radiography and may be useful in the identification of long-bone fractures. Ultrasound is rapid, noninvasive, and cost-effective. Unlike radiography, ultrasound does not expose children to ionizing radiation, which has been linked to cancer. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the agreement between emergency physicians' and radiologists' final assessments of suspected long-bone fractures using emergency ultrasound and radiography, respectively, in the pediatric population. METHODS: This is a prospective study involving a convenience sample of pediatric patients (<18 years of age) who presented to the emergency department of a university-affiliated, level I trauma center between March 2008 and January 2009 with at least 1 suspected long-bone fracture. Suspected fractures were characterized by swelling, erythema, and localized pain. Patients who had a history of fracture, extremity deformity, orthopedic hardware in the traumatized area, or an open fracture were excluded from this study. Each investigator received limited, focused training in the use of ultrasonography for fracture identification and localization. This training consisted of a brief didactic session and video review of normal and fractured long-bones. RESULTS: A total of 53 subjects (mean age, 10.2 [SD, 3.8] years; 56.6% were male) were enrolled, which corresponded to 98 ultrasound examinations. Sixty-nine scans (70.4%) involved bones of the upper extremity, and 29 (29.6%) the lower extremity. Radiography identified a total of 43 fractures. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in the detection of long-bone fractures were 95.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82.9%-99.2%) and 85.5% (95% CI, 72.8%-93.1%), respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 83.7% (95% CI, 68.8%-92.2%) and 96% (95% CI, 84.9%-99.3%), respectively. Overall, ultrasound detected 100.0% of diaphyseal fractures and 27 (93.1%) of 29 end-of-bone or near-joint fractures.Radiography revealed 6 displacements that met the published criteria for reduction, all of which were also revealed by ultrasound. The overall sensitivity and specificity for ultrasound identifying the need for reduction were 100.0% (95% CI, 51.7%-100.0%) and 97.3% (95% CI, 84.2%-99.9%), respectively, and positive and negative predictive values were 85.7% (95% CI, 42.0%-99.2%) and 100.0% (95% CI, 88.0%-100.0%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency department physician-performed focused ultrasound was more accurate in detecting diaphyseal fractures than in detecting fractures in the metaphysis and/or epiphysis. The high sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in the detection of long-bone fractures and the need for reduction support the use of ultrasound in the evaluation of suspected long-bone fractures in children.