How best to teach women breast self-examination: a randomized controlled trial

Article Abstract:

Three methods for teaching self-examination of the breast were compared in a group of 260 women aged 40 to 68 years of age. One-third of the patients were instructed by nurses who emphasized tactile skills and were referred to as the Mammacare group. The traditional group consisted of another third of the patients, who received traditional nurse instruction emphasizing technique. The remaining third received no instruction and acted as a control group. Half of the subjects in each group were actively encouraged by physicians. A year after the start of the study, women from the Mammacare group were able to detect more lumps in breast models compared with the traditional and control groups. The specificity of lump detection was similar for all groups. The frequency of breast self-examination increased to an average of 5.1 times per six months in the traditional group, 4.2 times in the Mammacare group, and 3.9 times in the control group. Encouragement by a physician had no effect on sensitivity, specificity, or frequency of breast self-examination. Seven techniques to examine the breast were used more often by women in the Mammacare group than by women in the other two groups. Health care use, or reported concern about breast cancer, did not increase in any of the groups. The results show that Mammacare instruction improves lump detection and examination techniques more than traditional instruction or physician encouragement. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Medical examination, Study and teaching, Breast examination, Self-examination, Medical, Self examination (Medical)

---

Differences between men and women in risk for death after a heart attack

Article Abstract:

Women under the age of 60 who have a heart attack have a worse prognosis than men under the age of 60, according to a study of 6,826 heart attack patients. The reason for this is not clear, since women older than 60 have a similar or better prognosis than men the same age.

Sex factors in disease, Disease sex factors

---

Predicting recovery of heart muscle strength after a heart attack

Article Abstract:

Patients who have a heart attack are most likely to recover their heart muscle strength if they have low blood levels of creatine kinase and their heart has not become enlarged. A heart attack can weaken heart muscle, but it can recover if the damage is not great.

Muscle strength

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Intrathecal ziconotide in the treatment of refractory pain in patients with cancer or AIDS: a randomized controlled trial
• Abstracts: Effect of a garlic oil preparation on serum lipoproteins and cholesterol metabolism: a randomized controlled trial
• Abstracts: In normal postmenopausal women physiologic estrogen replacement therapy fails to improve exercise tolerance: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
• Abstracts: Maternal cocaine use during pregnancy as a risk factor for congenital urogenital anomalies. Cocaine and Pregnancy--Time to Look at the Evidence
• Abstracts: Killing heat. Influenza vaccination and reduction in hospitalizations for cardiac disease and stroke among the elderly

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.