The impact of offering multiple cervical screening options to women whose screening was overdue in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

Most women who develop cancer have not been screened regularly. One in four women in Scotland, is overdue for cervical screening. Aim was to assess the impact of offering multiple cervical screening options to women whose screening is overdue.

Bilateral renal artery stenosis due to fibromuscular dysplasia presenting as superimposed pre-eclampsia.

Renal vascular hypertension is a diagnosis that needs to be entertained in the setting of refractory, otherwise unexplained hypertension in pregnancy. Conclusive diagnosis of the condition is made by the use of angiography, which confers only a low, safe dose of radiation to the fetus, especially after the first trimester. Percutaneous angioplasty is effective in treating this condition and is best performed postnatally to avoid fetal exposure to ionising radiation.

Tranexamic acid therapy for heavy menstrual bleeding.

Introduction: Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB, also known as menorrhagia) is an important health problem that interferes with women's quality of life. It is one of the most common reasons why women are seen by their family doctors in primary care and is a condition frequently treated by surgery.

Areas Covered: This review covers the pharmacology of tranexamic acid in brief and concentrates on its use in the treatment of HMB.

Wernicke's encephalopathy: a preventable cause of maternal death.

Wernicke's encephalopathy is a rare cause of maternal death. It is a difficult diagnosis to make but prevention and treatment is straightforward. Severe thiamine deficiency causes Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Flexible mifepristone and misoprostol administration interval for first-trimester medical termination.

Background: The administration interval between mifepristone and misoprostol is usually about 36-48 h, which might affect a woman's choice of method of termination. Unwanted outcomes such as uterine bleeding, painful cramps and psychosocial issues which may occur during this long interval can be altered by a shorter administration interval. A shorter interval will be cost-effective as it saves both women's and clinician's time and other resources.

Implementation of guidelines on oxytocin use at caesarean section: a survey of practice in Great Britain and Ireland.

Objective: Caesarean section is one of the most commonly performed major operations on women worldwide. Operative morbidity includes haemorrhage, anaemia, blood transfusion and in severe cases, maternal death. Various clinical guidelines address oxytocin use at the time of caesarean section.

Diabetes and the menopause.

Diabetes mellitus is the commonest chronic disease in post-menopausal women and is a predisposing factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in this cohort in Western societies. Diabetes and the menopause are two independent risk factors for development of cardiovascular disease. Risk factor modification in terms of diabetes appears straightforward; however, correction of oestrogen deficiency which hallmarks the menopause appears complex.

Use of oxytocin to prevent haemorrhage at caesarean section--a survey of practice in the United Kingdom.

Objective: To establish the views and current practice of obstetricians and anaesthetists with regard to the use of oxytocin to prevent haemorrhage at caesarean section.

Study Design: A national survey of all lead consultant obstetricians and anaesthetists for the labour ward in the United Kingdom. A postal questionnaire was sent to all clinicians with one subsequent reminder to non-responders.