RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Penthrox® (methoxyflurane) is a convenient, portable, self-administered disposable single-use handheld inhaler licenced as an emergency, rapid-onset, short-acting, analgesic in adult trauma patients. Outpatient hysteroscopy is one of the commonest procedures in contemporary gynecology but it can be associated with significant pain leading to poor patient experience and failed procedures. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of Penthrox® in women undergoing outpatient hysteroscopic procedures and its potential efficacy to reduce pain and improve patient experience. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study on women undergoing hysteroscopy or other intrauterine procedures, such as coil fitting, endometrial biopsy, polypectomy, endometrial ablation and manual vacuum aspiration in an outpatient setting. Women were offered Penthrox® inhalers for pain control, instructed how to use it and asked to record the intra-procedural pain they expected and actually experienced using a 10â¯cm Visual Analogue Scale. The acceptability, side effects and ease of use of the Penthrox® device were also recorded. RESULTS: 122/146 (83.6â¯%) women chose to use Penthrox®. 116 out of the 122 (95.1â¯%) underwent an intrauterine procedure, including 59 hysteroscopic polypectomies and 34 global endometrial ablations. The average pain expected during the procedure was 6.0 (SDâ¯=â¯2.8) and the pain experienced during the procedure was 5.1 (SDâ¯=â¯2.8). The intended procedure was completed in 117 (96â¯%) women. Penthrox® was considered easy to use by 118 (97â¯%) women and 111 (91â¯%) would use it again, although 22 (18â¯%) women would prefer general anaesthesia in the future. No adverse events occurred but 88 (72â¯%) women reported mild, self-limiting side effects. CONCLUSION: Penthrox® appears safe, feasible and acceptable as a pain relief option during outpatient hysteroscopy and other intrauterine procedures. The effectiveness of Penthrox® should be evaluated against conventional pain control in an adequately powered multicentre randomised controlled trial.
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Faecal incontinence (FI) is prevalent in postmenopausal women. Oestrogen receptors have been identified in the anal sphincter and have been implicated in the pathogenesis and potential treatment. We sought to evaluate the literature regarding the impact of local and systemic oestrogen therapy on FI in postmenopausal women. METHODS: A systematic review of all studies in postmenopausal women was performed to establish how oestrogen therapy affects FI. Eight articles were deemed eligible for inclusion following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Their quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB-2) and Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale. RESULTS: One randomised controlled trial (RCT), two cohort studies, one observational and four cross-sectional studies were identified. The RCT showed an improvement in FI with anal oestrogen (p = 0.002), but this improvement was also observed in the placebo arm (p = 0.013) and no difference was seen between these groups. A prospective observational study demonstrated significant improvement with an oestrogen patch (p = 0.004), but had no control group. Conversely, a large prospective cohort study demonstrated an increased hazard ratio of FI with current (1.32; 95% CI, 1.20-1.45) and previous oestrogen use (1.26; 95% CI, 1.18-1.34) compared with non-users. CONCLUSION: All studies had a high risk of bias and had conflicting views on the effects of oestrogen on FI in postmenopausal women. This review has identified the need for further research in this area by highlighting the paucity of good research for evidence-based practice. We believe that a further RCT of local oestrogen is mandated to draw a valid conclusion.