Pelvic organ prolapse: prevalence and risk factors in a Brazilian population.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Although pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a prevalent condition among Brazilians, population-based epidemiological studies of POP are scarce. We studied POP in a population of women undergoing routine examination to determine its prevalence, distribution and relationship to risk factors. METHODS: This quantitative descriptive study surveyed 432 women, based on prolapse prevalence, who sought routine care and were assessed for prolapse staging using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POP-Q). Demographics, health history, socioeconomic data, symptoms and risk factors for prolapse were self-reported by the participants. RESULTS: A total of 226 (52.3%) of the examined women had POP. The prevalences of POP in relation to stage were as follows: stage 1 (27.8%), stage 2 (23.1%), and stage 3 (1.4%). Regarding risk factors, a history of vaginal delivery (odds ratio, OR, 6.678, 95% confidence interval, CI, 4.16-10.73), delivery of a newborn heavier than 4 kg (OR 2.056, 95% CI 1.19-3.56) and menopausal status (OR 2.793, 95% CI 1.66-4.70) were all associated with a higher risk of prolapse. CONCLUSIONS: We found that a majority of the population sample exhibited some degree of prolapse, suggesting that POP deserves substantial clinical attention. The risk factors identified suggest that eventual prolapse may be unavoidable in some women. Public policies should be implemented with respect to modifiable risk factors and antenatal care.

[Assessment of patients with pressure sores admitted in a tertiary care center]. / Avaliação dos pacientes portadores de lesão por pressão internados em hospital geral.

BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence and analyze the profile of patients with pressure sores, focusing on risk factors, the patients' clinical characteristics at a tertiary care center, as well as stage and location of the lesions on the body. METHODS: This was a cross sectional not controlled observational study, all patients admitted from April to June of 2005 were observed daily to identify all cases of pressure sores. The affected patients were evaluated by a standard questionnaire and the Scale of Braden was applied to define the risk of developing ulcers. RESULTS: Of the 690 patients admitted during the referred period, a prevalence of 5.9% of patients with lesions was observed, equivalent to 41 patients 63.9% of which were elderly and the average length of stay was 18 days. In the sample studied 41.5% of patients were found in the internal medicine section and the intensive care unit, ICU. The most common location for sores was the sacral area, corresponding to 73.1% of the patients, and stage II was the most frequent, observed in 58.5% of those patients. According to the Braden scale, most patients, 80.4%, had a high risk of developing pressure ulcers, compared to 9.7% of patients with moderate risk and 7.4% with low risk. CONCLUSION: The affected patients were at high risk of developing pressure sores. Prevalence of these lesions and the clinical and demographic profile of the affected patients are in accordance with the data in literature.