Pelvic Girdle Pain during or after Pregnancy: a review of recent evidence and a clinical care path proposal.

Problem Statement: Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a common condition during or after pregnancy with pain and disability as most important symptoms. These symptoms have a wide range of clinical presentation. Most doctors perceive pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) as 'physiologic' or 'expected during pregnancy', where no treatment is needed.

[Intrauterine copper contraceptive implants].

GyneFix, conceived in 1985, was developed to minimize three major problems frequently associated with discontinuation of IUD use: expulsion, bleeding and pain. Since the initial clinical investigations, over 10,000 women years of experience and up to 8 years of follow-up in international, multicenter, non-comparative and comparative clinical trials, including a large proportion of nulligravid/nulliparous women, have been collected. The following conclusions were reached: 1.

Immediate postplacental insertion and fixation of the CuFix postpartum implant system.

Since promising results were obtained with the CuFix interval implant system in international clinical trials conducted worldwide, a modification of the device adapting it for immediate postplacental insertion and fixation (IPPIF) seemed a logical approach to solve the expulsion problem of IUDs inserted at that particular time. Seventy-three insertions were performed at three university centers, during 1990 and 1991, both by skilled and unskilled investigators. The results of this multicenter study show the excellent retainability of the modified IUD supporting the validity of the anchoring principle.

Clinical experience with the GYNE-T 380 postpartum intrauterine device.

Objective: The insertion of conventional intrauterine devices (IUDs) during the 1st 10 days after delivery is associated with a high rate of expulsions.

Design: The GYNE-T 380 (Ortho Pharmaceutical [Canada] Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada) IUD was modified by the addition of a loose loop of knotted biodegradable no.

Gestodene: clinical experience with an innovative progestogen used in a combination oral contraceptive preparation.

The contraceptive efficacy, tolerance, and safety of a new monophasic oral contraceptive that combines 75 mcg gestodene (delta-15- levonorgestrel) and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol were studied in 75 women (944 cycles) currently at risk for pregnancy. 20 women were nulliparous. No woman became pregnant during the trial, nor were vital signs of body weight affected by the drug.

Clinical experience with an ethinyl estradiol-desogestrel oral contraceptive.

Desogestrel (150 micrograms), a potent progestogen virtually devoid of androgenic activity, was used in combination with 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol as an oral contraceptive preparation (Marvelon). 219 women completed a total of 4074 cycles, and the use-effectiveness was 0.58 Pearl Units.

The Copper-Fix (Cu-Fix): a new concept in IUD technology.

The Copper-Fix (Cu-Fix) is a thread-type copper-bearing device designed to overcome the most common IUD-related problems: bleeding and pain. Two distinctive features--virtual absence of a frame and provision of an anchoring system--make this new intrauterine device the first radical departure from current IUD technology. The Cu-Fix 390 was inserted at intervals in 382 women, and 4851 woman-months of experience had been accumulated at 18 months.

Candidiasis in women fitted with an intrauterine contraceptive device.

Vaginal colonization by Candida spp. was compared in 117 women fitted with an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD users) and in 100 women not wearing an IUCD (control group). None of the subjects had factors currently assumed to predispose to yeast colonization or infection.

Immediate postpartum insertion: performance of the Nova-T-PP and randomized comparison with the Nova-T.

Clinical evaluation of the Postpartum Nova-T or Nova-T-PP (a Nova-T IUD adapted for postpartum insertion) was based on 412 insertions and showed that this model--besides being effective and safe--had a low expulsion rate (7.2% at 1 year). To prove that the Nova-T-PP's low expulsion rate is indeed the result of its special design, a randomized trial was conducted to compare the Nova-T-PP with the parent model (Nova-T) when inserted within 10 minutes of delivery of the placenta.

The Ombrelle-380 IUD: a pilot study.

The initial results of a pilot trial (314 insertions and 3784 woman-months of experience at 18 months) suggest the low expulsion rate (0.0) and high clinical effectiveness (pregnancy rate 0.0) of the Ombrelle-380, a new high-load copper-releasing IUD of French origin.

The Dimélys IUD.

The Dimélys is a new lily-shaped copper-bearing IUD of French origin of which the first clinical results are reported here. This device was inserted at interval in 348 women and 8975 woman-months of experience were accumulated at 3 years. Though only moderately effective (pregnancy rates 2.

A randomized study of two cups for vacuum extraction.

O'Neil designed a set of suction cups which, because of more efficient lateral pull and greater maneuverability, were claimed to be more efficient and perinatally safer than the Malmström model. These claims were checked by comparing the two instruments in a randomized controlled trial comprising 410 attempted elective extractions. The two instrument groups were comparable at entry and the operators had a similar degree of experience, the sole inter-group difference being the 0.

Assessment of a two dose scheme of PGE2 gel for preinduction cervical softening.

A single dose technique of endocervically administered 0.5 mg PGE2 triacetin gel has been reliably effective for preinduction cervical softening. This study examined the value of a 2 times 0.

Local administration of (15 S)-15-methyl PGF2 alpha for management of hypotonic post-partum hemorrhage.

Local (uterine) injection of (15 S)-15-methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha was highly effective as first-aid treatment for hypotonic post-partum hemorrhage and only 2% of the 50 treated patients required surgical intervention for such hemorrhage. Systemic side-effects did not occur, and besides the procedure is extremely simple as well as painless.

Preinduction cervical ripening with prostaglandin E2: influence on psychomotor evolution in the first year.

The long-term effects of elective preinduction of labor at term by extra-amniotic instillation of prostaglandin E2 in methylhydroxyethylcellulose gel were evaluated in 20 children. No untoward effect of this procedure on the neurologic state of the newborn or the psychomotor development of the children during the first 12 months was found.

Endocervical prostaglandin E2 gel for preinduction cervical softening.

A single, endocervical application of a new commercial preparation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel, 0.5 mg of PGE2 in 2.5 ml (3 g), was evaluated for preinduction cervical softening.

Immediate postplacental IUD insertion: a randomized trial of sutured (Lippes Loop and TCu22OC) and non-sutured (TCu22OC) models.

A randomized clinical trial concerning immediate post-placental insertion (IPPI) of the Delta Lippes Loop, Delta TCu22OC, and TCu22OC was undertaken to assess the effect of the addition of catgut strands on IUD performance. A total of 906 devices were inserted and the subjects followed for 20 months, at which time 14,136 woman-months experience had been accumulated. The Delta Loop constantly had inadmissibly high expulsion and pregnancy rates.

Chronic stimulation of uterine prostaglandin synthesis during cervical ripening before the onset of labor.

Concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha (PGFM) were measured in plasma of six carefully selected primigravid women with an unripe cervix at term before and at various intervals after extra-amniotic insertion of a Foley catheter with or without methylhydroxyethylcellulose (Tylose) gel. The procedure caused an acute elevation of PGFM levels within 5 min (P less than 0.025), which was maintained for at least 6 hours in the absence of uterine activation at 179 +/- 32% of the initial values (P less than 0.

Management of second-trimester missed abortion with intramuscular 15-methyl-prostaglandin F2 alpha.

Midtrimester missed abortion was successfully managed by serial intramuscular injections of 15(S)-15-methyl-prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) in 255 patients, the cumulative abortion rates after 24 and 36 hours being 97.6 and 99.6%, respectively.

Intravenous infusion of prostaglandin E2 for management of premature rupture of membranes.

In term with premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) and an unripe cervix who have no contraindications for prostaglandin (PG) administration and vaginal delivery, intravenous (I.V.) infusion of titrated PGE2 is highly effective.

Extra-amniotic prostaglandin E2 gel vs. amniotomy for elective induction of labour.

A randomized study was performed to compare three methods of labour induction in 143 clinically normal women (43 nulliparas) at term: amniotomy with or without intravenous oxytocin, extra-amniotic prostaglandin (PG) E2 gel, and extra-amniotic PGE2 gel plus an indwelling catheter. The three methods appeared to be comparable in effect and all of them were perinatally safe. Thus, if preference is given to keeping the ovular sac intact during the early phase of induced labour, extra-amniotic PGE2 in viscous gel, either with or without an indwelling catheter,.