RESUMO
Menopause is an inevitable phase in every woman's life. Women may suffer from unpleasant symptoms during perimenopause. Understanding the health needs of the community during this period will help in developing menopause management programs that can improve quality of life. Aim: To study the symptoms of menopause and perception of women in relation to menopause in order to understand their needs. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional, multi-centric study was undertaken at three institutions (called DH, SJ, and SK) at two cities in India. The study population comprised women between the ages of 40 and 60. Institutional Ethics Committee approval and consent of participants were ensured. Material and Methods: Two instruments, a pilot-tested, peer-reviewed, validated, structured questionnaire and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were utilized for the study. The minimum sample size was calculated to be 385 per site. Statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: A total of 1297 forms were analyzed. MRS scores showed psychological symptoms to be most prevalent. Joint and muscular pains were the most common somatic symptoms. Hot flashes and urogenital symptoms were experienced by a lower number. Our MRS scores were significantly higher than those seen in other regions. Urban women, site SJ, those with irregular menstrual cycles, and lower incomes scored higher than their counterparts. Awareness about menopause was patchy, especially regarding medication or support services available. Conclusions: The high MRS scores emphasize the need to institute awareness programs, providing information on choices available for care (hormone replacement therapy, medications, or counseling) and information on where to access services. Primary care physicians can play a vital role in fulfilling this need by ensuring timely knowledge to the community, providing correct diagnosis and treatment. This will help improve the quality of life and sense of well-being of this community.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prophylaxis has been recommended by the National task force constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the prevention of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare workers (HCWs). However, this recommendation was based essentially on the preclinical data and limited clinical experience. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HCQ as a pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 infection among Indian HCWs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs of a tertiary care hospital in north India. The HCQ prophylaxis was initiated among 996 HCWs and they were followed up to 8 weeks for conversion to COVID-19 positive status and any adverse drug reaction (ADR). RESULTS: About 10.3% of the study participants were tested positive for COVID-19 which was comparable to the positivity rate among HCWs not taking HCQ prophylaxis (9.7%). CONCLUSIONS: HCQ was well tolerated at a weekly dose of 400 mg for 8 weeks but provided no additional benefit in prevention of COVID-19 among HCWs.