Women's Health Flashcards
What are the risk factors for Ovarian Cancer?
Family History - mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene
Many ovulations - early menarche, late menopause, nulliparity
What are the features of Ovarian Cancer?
- Abdominal distension and bloating
- Abdominal and pelvic pain
- Urinary symptoms e.g. Urgency
- Early satiety
- Diarrhoea
What are the investigations for ovarian cancer?
CA125
(Endometriosis, menstruation, benign ovarian cysts and other conditions may also raise the CA125 level)
- If CA125 is raised, urgent ultrasound scan must be ordered
What is the management of ovarian cancer?
Combination of surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy
Which cancers does BRCA2 increase risk for?
- Ovarian cancer
- Breast cancer
Which female cancers does obesity increase risk for?
- Breast cancer
- Endometrial cancer
Which risk factor is the strongest for endometrial cancer?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
What are the risk factors for endometrial cancer?
- Obesity
- Nulliparity
- Early menarche
- Late menopause
- Unopposed oestrogen
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Tamoxifen
- PCOS
- Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
What are the features of endometrial cancer?
Postmenopausal bleeding - classic symptom
Change intermenstrual bleeding in premenopausal women
Pain and discharge are unusual features
What is the management of endometrial cancer?
Localised disease -> Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
High risk disease will have post-operative radiotherapy
What are protective factors for endometrial cancer?
Oral contraceptive pill
Smoking
What is the stereotypical history for endometriosis?
Nulliparous woman presenting with severe dysmennorhoea, heavy and irregular bleeding, dyspareunia and pain on defecation
What is endometriosis?
Condition characterised by the growth of ectopic endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity
What are the features of endometriosis?
Chronic pelvic pain
Secondary dysmenorrhoea - pain begins before bleeding
Deep dyspareunia
Subfertility
Urinary symptoms
What would be noted in a pelvic examination in endometriosis?
Reduced organ mobility
Tender nodularity in posterior vaginal fornix
Visible vaginal endometriotic lesions
What is the gold standard investigation for endometriosis?
Laparoscopy
What is the primary management of endometriosis?
NSAIDs and/or paracetamol
OCP or progestogens
What is the secondary management of endometriosis?
GnRH analogues
Surgery may improve fertility
From which ages is incidence of cervical cancer highest?
Ages 25-29
50% of cases occur in women under 45
Which types of cervical cancer are there?
Squamous cell cancer (80%)
Adenocarcinoma (20%)
What is the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer?
HPV virus
Serotypes 16, 18, 33
What are the risk factors for cervical cancer
- Smoking
- HPV
- HIV
- Early first intercourse, many sexual partners
- High parity
- Lower socioeconomic status
- Combined OCP
What are the features of cervical cancer?
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding - postcoital, intermenstrual or postmenopausal bleeding
- Vaginal discharge
- Can be detected during routine cervical cancer screening
What are the benefits and harms of the Combined OCP?
Benefits:
1. >99% effective if taken correctly
Harms:
1. Small risk of blood clots
2. Very small risk of heart attacks and strokes
3. Increased risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer
How can the Combined OCP be taken?
- Conventionally - 21 days on then stopped for 7 days (withdrawal bleeding)
- No pill-free interval
- “Tricycling” - three 21 day packs back to back before having a 4-7 day break
What is the mechanism of the intrauterine contraceptive device?
Decreases sperm motility and survival
What is the mechanism of the combined OCP?
Inhibits ovulation
What is the mechanism of the progesterone-only-pill
Thickens cervical mucus
What is the mechanism of action of the Desogestrel-only pill?
Primary: Inhibits ovulation
Also thickens cervical mucus
What is the mode of action of levonorgestrel (Morning-after pill/Levonelle/ellaOne)
Inhibits ovulation
Which contraceptives are effective immediately?
Intrauterine device (Copper coil)
Which contraceptives are effective after 7 days?
Nexplanon (implantable contraceptive)
Combined oral contraceptive pill
Intrauterine system (e.g. Mirena)
Depo Provera (injectable contraceptive)
What are the causes of Post partum haemorrhage (PPH)?
Four T’s:
1. Tone (uterine atony)
2. Trauma (e.g. perineal tear)
3. Tissue (e.g. retained placenta)
4. Thrombin (e.g. clotting/bleeding disorder)
What are the risk factors for PPH?
- Previous PPH
- Prolonged labour
- Pre-eclampsia
- Increased maternal age
- Polyhydramnios
- Emergency Caesarean section
- Placenta praevia, placenta accreta
- Macrosomia
What is the management of PPH?
Life-threatening emergency - senior members of staff involved immediately
1. ABC Approach
- Two peripheral cannulae, 14 gauge
- Lie the woman flat
- Bloods including group and save
- Commence warmed crystalloid infusion
2. Mechanical
- Palpate the uterine fundus and rub to stimulate contractions
- Catheterisation to prevent bladder distension, monitor urine output
3. Medical
- IV oxytocin - slow IV injection, followed by IV infusion
- Ergometrine slow IV or IM
- Carboprost IM
- Misoprostol sublingual
4. Surgical - if medical options fail
- Intrauterine balloon tamponade
- B-Lynch suture, ligation of uterine arteries or internal iliac arteries
When would a secondary postpartum haemorrhage occur?
24 hours-6 weeks after birth
Usually due to retained placental tissue or endometriosis
What are the drug contraindications of breastfeeding?
- Antibiotics - ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, sulphonamides
- Psychiatric drugs - lithium, benzodiazepines, clozapine
- Aspirin
- Carbimazole
- Methotrexate
- Sulfonylureas
- Cytotoxic drugs
- Amiodarone
What other contraindications of note are there to breastfeeding?
Galactosaemia
Viral infections +/- HIV
What treatment would be offered at 36 weeks gestation?
Check presentation - offer external cephalic version if needed
Information on breast feeding, VitK and “baby blues”
What is offered at 18-20+6 weeks gestation?
Anomaly Scan
What is PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome)?
- Complex condition thought to affect 5-20% of women of reproductive age
- Both hyperinsulinaemia and high levels of LH are seen
What are the features of PCOS?
- Subfertility and infertility
- Menstrual disturbances: oligomenorrhoea and amenorrhoea
- Hirsutism, acne (due to hyperandrogenism)
- Obesity
- Acanthosis nigricans (due to insulin resistance)
What are the investigations for PCOS?
- Pelvic ultrasound - multiple cysts on ovaries
- FSH, LH (LH:FSH ratio raised), prolactin (normal or mildly elevated), TSH, testosterone (normal or mildly raised), sex-hormone-binding globulin (normal to low)
- Check for impaired glucose tolerance
What is used to diagnose PCOS?
Rotterdam Criteria - 2/3 of:
1. Infrequent or no ovulation
2. Clinical and/or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism
3. Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound scan (defined as the presence of ≥ 12 follicles (measuring 2-9 mm in diameter) in one or both ovaries and/or increased ovarian volume > 10 cm³)
What are the risk factors for urinary incontinence?
- Advancing age
- Previous pregnancy and childbirth
- High BMI
- Hysterectomy
- Family history
What are the types of urinary incontinence?
- Overactive bladder/urge
- Stress
- Mixed
- Overflow
- Functional
What is the treatment for stress incontinence?
- Pelvic floor muscle training
- Surgical procedures - retropubic mid-urethral tape procedures
- Duloxetine - increases stimulation of urethral striated muscles within sphincter
When would you refer a woman for a colposcopy after a smear test?
- Sample is hrHPV +ve + cytologically abnormal
- Two consecutive inadequate samples then
- 2nd repeat smear at 24 months is still hrHPV +ve (all recent smears cytologically normal)
When would you repeat a smear in 12 months?
- Sample is hrHPV +ve + cytologically normal
- 1st repeat smear at 12 months is still hrHPV +ve (all recent smears cytologically normal)
At what gestation would a rhesus negative woman receive Anti-D prophylaxis?
28 weeks - 1st dose
34 weeks - 2nd dose
What is androgen insensitivity syndrome?
An X-linked recessive condition due to end-organ resistance to testosterone, causing genotypically male children to have female phenotype
What are the features of androgen insensitivity syndrome?
- ‘Primary amennorhoea’
- Undescended testes causing groin swellings
- Breast development may occur as a result of conversion of testosterone to oestradiol
What can be used to diagnosed androgen insensitivity syndrome?
Buccal smear or chromosomal analysis to reveal 46XY genotype
What is the management of androgen insensitivity syndrome?
Counselling
Bilateral orchidectomy
Oestrogen therapy
When should a booking visit occur with a midwife?
8-12 weeks
Ideally <10 weeks
What is placental abruption?
Separation of a normally sited placenta from the uterine wall, resulting in maternal haemorrhage into intervening space
How common is placental abruption?
Occurs in 1/200 pregnancies
What are the factors associated with placental abruption?
- Proteinuric hypertension
- Cocaine use
- Multiparity
- Maternal trauma
- Increasing maternal age
What are the clinical features of placental abruption?
- Shock out of keeping with visible loss
- Constant pain
- Tender, tense uterus
- Normal lie and presentation
- Fetal heart: absent/distressed
- Coagulation problems
Beware pre-eclampsia, DIC, anuria
What is the typical presentation of pelvic inflammatory disease?
20-year-old woman presenting with 1 week history of constant cramping lower abdominal pain, intermenstrual bleeding, dyspareunia and dysuria
What are the causative organisms of Pelvic inflammatory disease?
Chlamydia trachomatis
Neisseria gonorrhoea
Mycoplasma genitalium
Mycoplasma hominis
What is Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?
Infection and inflammation of female pelvic organs including uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and peritoneum
What are the clinical features of PID?
- Lower abdominal pain
- Fever
- Deep dyspareunia
- Dysuria and menstrual irregularities may occur
- Vaginal or cervical discharge
- Cervical excitation
What are the investigations of PID?
- Pregnancy test should be done to exclude an ectopic pregnancy
- High vaginal swab - these are often negative
- Screen for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea
How is PID managed?
Low threshold for treatment:
- Oral ofloxacin + oral metronidazole or;
- Intramuscular ceftriaxone + oral doxycycline + oral metronidazole
What complications are associated with PID?
- Perihepatitis (Fitz-Hugh Curtis Syndrome) - occurs in around 10% of cases (RUQ pain)
- Infertility - the risk may be as high as 10-20% after a single episode
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Ectopic pregnancy
What are the symptoms of menopause
- Change in periods - length, dysfunctional uterine bleeding
- Vasomotor symptoms - hot flushes, night sweats
- Urogenital changes -Vaginal dryness and atrophy, urinary frequency
- Psychological - anxiety, depression, short-term memory impairment
- Longer term complications - osteoporosis, increased risk of IHD
What causes symptoms in menopause
Reduced levels of female hormones - mainly oestrogen
What are the risk factors for vulval cancer?
HPV infection
Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia
Immunosuppression
Lichen sclerosus
What are the features of vulval cancer?
- Lump or ulcer on labia majora
- Inguinal lymphadenopathy
- Itching, irritation
What is shoulder dystocia?
A complication of vaginal cephalic delivery in which the body of the fetus cannot be delivered despite the head being delivered.
It usually occurs due to impaction on the anterior fetal shoulder on the maternal pubic symphysis
What are the risk factors for shoulder dystocia?
- Fetal macrosomia (hence association with maternal diabetes mellitus)
- High maternal body mass index
- Diabetes mellitus
- Prolonged labour
How can shoulder dystocia be managed?
- Senior help should be called as soon as it is identified
- McRoberts’ manoeuvre
What is McRobert’s Manoeuvre
- Used in Shoulder dystocia
Flexion and abduction of the maternal hips, bringing mothers’ thighs toward abdomen, increasing relative anterior-posterior angle of the pelvis and often facilitates successful delivery
What are the potential complications of shoulder dystocia?
Maternal:
- Postpartum haemorrhage
- Perineal tears
Fetal
- Brachial plexus injury
- Neonatal death
How is an ectopic pregnancy investigated?
Pregnancy test
Investigation of choice - transvaginal ultrasound
What are the stages of Ovarian cancer?
Stage 1 - Tumour confined to ovary
Stage 2 - Tumour outside ovary but within pelvis
Stage 3 - Tumour outside pelvic but within abdomen
Stage 4 - Distant metastasis
What is endometrial hyperplasia?
Abnormal proliferation of endometrium in excess of normal proliferation occurring during menstrual cycle
What does endometrial hyperplasia increase the risk of?
Endometrial cancer
What are the two main types of caesarean section?
- Lower segment caesarean section - 99% of cases
- Classic caesarean section - longitudinal incision in the upper segment of the uterus
What are the indications for C-Section?
- Absolute cephalopelvic disproportion
- Placenta praevia grades 3/4
- Pre-eclampsia
- Post-maturity
- IUGR
- Fetal distress in labour/cord prolapse
- Failure to progress
- Malpresentations - brow
- Placental abruption
- Vaginal infection
- Cervical cancer
What would categorise a Category 1 C-Section?
Immediate threat to life of mother or baby
e.g. Suspected uterine rupture, major placental abruption, cord prolapse, fetal hypoxia, persistent fetal bradycardia
- Delivery should occur within 30 minutes of decision
What would categorise a Category 2 C-Section?
Maternal or fetal compromise not immediately life threatening
- Should occur within 75 minutes of decision
What would categorise a Category 3 C-Section?
Delivery required but both mother and baby are stable
What would categorise a Category 4 C-Section?
Elective caesarean
When is Vaginal Birth after caesarean (VBAC) appropriate?
Appropriate for delivery for pregnant women >= 37 weeks gestation with single previous caesarean
- Successful in 70-75%
What are the contraindications for VBAC?
Previous uterine rupture
Classical caesarean scar
What is menorrhagia?
Heavy menstrual bleeding (defined as total blood loss >80ml per menses)
- Tailored to what a woman believes is excessive
What are the investigations for menorrhagia?
FBC
Transvaginal ultrasound scan if relevant symptoms
How can menorrhagia be managed?
Requiring contraception:
1. Intrauterine system (mirena) - first-line
2. Combined oral contraceptive pill
3. Long-acting progestogens
Not requiring contraception:
1. Menenamic acid or tranexamic acid
2. Referral
What is used as first-line treatment in infertility in PCOS?
Clomifene
What are the long term complications of vaginal hysterectomy?
Enterocele
Vaginal vault prolapse
What are the typical symptoms of vaginal candidiasis?
Vulval discomfort
Thick, white, ‘curdy’, non-odorous vaginal discharge with pH <4.5
Vulval erythema, fissuring, satellite lesions
What are the typical symptoms of bacterial vaginosis?
- Vulval itching
- Discomfort
- Thin, homogenous, white-grey, ‘fishy’ discharge
- pH >4.5
What are the risk factors for candidiasis?
Diabetes mellitus
Drugs: antibiotics, steroids
Pregnancy
Immunosuppression: HIV
What are the management options for vaginal candidiasis?
- Oral fluconazole
- Clotrimazole intravaginal pessary
- Topical imidazole