Margareta Hammarström

Prevalence of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse in a Swedish population.

Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in a Swedish urban female population. The cross-sectional study design included 8,000 randomly selected female residents in Stockholm, 30–79-year old. A postal questionnaire enquired about symptomatic POP, using a validated set of five questions, and about urinary incontinence and demographic data. Of 5,489 women providing adequate information, 454 (8.3%, 95% confidence interval 7.3–9.1%) were classified as having symptomatic POP. The prevalence rose with increasing age but leveled off after age 60. In a logistic regression model that disentangled the independent effects, parity emerged as a considerably stronger risk factor than age. There was a ten-fold gradient in prevalence odds of POP with parity, the steepest slope (four-fold) being between nulliparous and primiparous women. The prevalence of frequent stress urinary incontinence was 8.9% and that of frequent urge incontinence 5.9%. Out of the 454 women with prolapse, 37.4% had either or both types of incontinence.

Nonobstetric risk factors for symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To identify possible nonobstetric risk factors for symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse in the general female population. METHODS: This was a population-based, cross-sectional study derived from a sample of 5,489 Stockholm women, 30 to 79 years old, who answered a validated questionnaire for the identification of symptomatic prolapse. The 454 women whose answers indicated the presence of such prolapse and the 405 randomly selected control participants with answers that gave no indication of prolapse received a 72-item questionnaire, which probed into a priori suspected risk factors. Only those women with intact uteri and no prior surgery for incontinence or prolapse were included. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated prevalence odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: In addition to age and parity, overweight (prevalence OR for body mass index [kg/m2] 26–30 compared with 19–25 was 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3.1), history of conditions suggestive of deficient connective tissue (varicose veins/hernia/hemorrhoids, prevalence OR for positive history compared with no history 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.8), family history of prolapse (prevalence OR for positive history compared with no history 3.3, 95% CI 1.7–6.4), heavy lifting at work (prevalence OR for 10 kg or more compared with no heavy lifting 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.6), and presence of constipation, hard stools, or difficult evacuation (prevalence OR relative to normal bowel habits 2.1, 95% CI 1.4–3.3) all were linked independently, significantly, and positively to the presence of symptomatic prolapse. CONCLUSION: In this nonconsulting population, age and parity were the dominating risk factors, but significant independent associations with markers suggestive of congenital susceptibility (family history and conditions signaling weak connective tissue) and nonobstetric strain on the pelvic floor (overweight/obesity, heavy lifting, and constipation) imply that individual predisposition and lifestyle/environment also may play an important role. The causal direction of the association with bowel habits remains uncertain, and the link to family history could be partly because of information bias. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

Influence of physical activity on urinary leakage in primiparous women

The impact of physical activity on urinary leakage (UL) has previously been considered, but not in relation to first pregnancy and delivery. The aim of this study was to describe physical activity and urinary leakage before, during and after the first childbirth. The subjects who were invited to participate in the study were taken consecutively from nine maternity clinics in the northwest part of Stockholm County, and the study group included 665 primiparous women. The mean age of the women was 28 (range 17–43) years. The women answered one questionnaire during the 36th gestation week and another 1 year post partum. Physical activity/exercises were classified according to their impact on the pelvic floor, and the women were divided into three groups: high‐impact exercise (n=327), low‐impact exercise (n=84) and the inactive group (n=254). The results showed a high intensity and frequency of physical activity in the participating primiparous women. Risk factors for UL were symptoms of a dysfunctional pelvic floor and connective tissue disorders and high‐impact physical activity before pregnancy, while low‐impact activity seemed to promote continence. If urinary leakage was present before pregnancy, it persisted in most women during pregnancy and 1 year post partum.

Symptoms and pelvic support defects in specific compartments.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the nature of the anatomic defects in pelvic organ prolapse (POP) correlates with the character of the symptoms. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional investigation within a population-based sample. Two hundred eighty women who had completed a symptom questionnaire were examined according to POP quantification by two gynecologists blinded to symptom reports. RESULTS: An age- and parity-adjusted logistic regression model, controlling for POP in other compartments, revealed that the feeling of vaginal bulge was specific to prolapse but not to any particular compartment, although the association was strongest with anterior-wall prolapse (odds ratio [OR] for the symptom among women with stage II–IV relative to stage 0 was 5.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5–13.3). Urge urinary incontinence tended to be linked to POP in either the anterior or posterior wall, but the association was stronger with anterior-wall prolapse. Stress urinary incontinence was strongly linked to posterior-wall prolapse (stage II–IV OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.9–15.2). Self-reports of hard/lumpy stool and difficult or painful defecation tended to be associated with anterior-wall prolapse but without consistent relationships with stage. Painful defecation was the only bowel symptom significantly linked to posterior-wall prolapse (P=.05). CONCLUSION: Pelvic floor–related symptoms do not predict the anatomic location of the prolapse in women with mild to moderate prolapse. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

Operation for pelvic organ prolapse: a follow-up study

Objective.  Long‐term results of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in terms of objective and subjective cure rates, postoperative complications and side‐effects were studied retrospectively.

Prevalence of urinary leakage in nulliparous women with respect to physical activity and micturition habits

In order to survey the influence of physical activity and micturition habits on urinary leakage (UL) in women before their first pregnancy, a study including 725 women attending nine maternity clinics in the northwest area of Stockholm was performed. During the 36th gestational week the women answered a questionnaire regarding the pre-pregnancy situation regarding UL, micturition habits and physical activity. Thirty-nine percent of the women, mean age of 28 (range 17–43) years, had experienced occasional UL. Of these, the majority (79%) had symptoms of stress urinary leakage and 21% had urge symptoms. Two percent were incontinent according to the definition of the International Continence Society (ICS). In a multivariate analysis age, inability to interrupt the urine flow and high-impact physical activity turned out to be independent risk factors for UL and thus should be observed together with traditional factors concerning UL in nulliparous women.

Complete rupture of anal sphincter in primiparas: long-term effects and subsequent delivery

Objective. To study long‐term effects with respect to anal incontinence, pain, attitude to and mode of second delivery following complete rupture of the anal sphincter. Design. Case‐control study. Settings. Södersjukhuset, a university hospital in Stockholm. Population. A case group of 136 primiparas who had experienced a complete rupture of the anal sphincter. Two matched control groups of primiparas, one of whom had cesarean section and the other a normal vaginal delivery. Methods. The case women were examined and asked for symptoms of anal incontinence 3–6 months after delivery; 3–8 years later they and two matched control groups answered a postal questionnaire. Response rate was 89%. Main outcome measures. Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and, as secondary end‐point, the attitude to and mode of second delivery. Results. Anal incontinence after delivery was reported by 31% in the case group, and at long‐term follow‐up by 54% in the case group, 21% in the cesarean section and 23% in the normal delivery group (p < 0.0001). A wish to postpone or abandon further childbirth was significantly more common in the case women (33 and 18%) than in the other groups, but about 60% delivered again in all groups. In the case group, the next delivery was by cesarean section in 49%. Conclusion. At long‐term follow‐up after a complete rupture of the anal sphincter, anal incontinence was common and many women wished to postpone or avoid further delivery.

Effect of pharmacological treatment for urinary incontinence in the elderly and frail elderly : A systematic review

The prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence (UI) increase with age and comorbidity. The benefits of pharmacotherapy for UI in the elderly are questionable. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the efficacy of pharmacological treatment for UI in the elderly and frail elderly.

Internal validity of the Swedish Maternal Health Care Register

BackgroundThe Swedish Maternal Health Care Register (MHCR) is a national quality register that has been collecting pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum data since 1999. A substantial revision of the MHCR resulted in a Web-based version of the register in 2010. Although MHCR provides data for health care services and research, the validity of the MHCR data has not been evaluated. This study investigated degree of coverage and internal validity of specific variables in the MHCR and identified possible systematic errors.MethodsThis cross-sectional observational study compared pregnancy and delivery data in medical records with corresponding data in the MHCR. The medical record was considered the gold standard. The medical records from nine Swedish hospitals were selected for data extraction. This study compared data from 878 women registered in both medical records and in the MHCR. To evaluate the quality of the initial data extraction, a second data extraction of 150 medical records was performed. Statistical analyses were performed for degree of coverage, agreement and correlation of data, and sensitivity and specificity.ResultsDegree of coverage of specified variables in the MHCR varied from 90.0% to 100%. Identical information in both medical records and the MHCR ranged from 71.4% to 99.7%. For more than half of the investigated variables, 95% or more of the information was identical. Sensitivity and specificity were analysed for binary variables. Probable systematic errors were identified for two variables.ConclusionsWhen comparing data from medical records and data registered in the MHCR, most variables in the MHCR demonstrated good to very good degree of coverage, agreement, and internal validity. Hence, data from the MHCR may be regarded as reliable for research as well as for evaluating, planning, and decision-making with respect to Swedish maternal health care services.

Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) at term in nulliparous women with a ripe cervix: A randomized trial of 12 or 24 hours of expectant management

Objective. To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes after 12 or 24 hours of expectant management in healthy nulliparous women with a ripe cervix and PROM at term.