Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.05.2002, Síða 46

POSTERS / 3 3RD SNC & 2ND SCNN
than 2 hours. 15% had their headache lasting 12-24 hours, 12% had
their headache lasing 1-2 days and 7% reported continuing headache
for three days or longer. One third of migraineurs reported headache
every third month and quarter of migraineurs reported headache
every month. The severity of the headache in the population with mig-
raine was moderate-severe in the great majority of responders (96%).
Conclusion: Headache is common in Iceland. Migraine is not very
common in Iceland. Migraine appers to be more common among
women than men and more common among younger induviduals. The
most common duration of migraine appers to be 2-12 hours and the
migraine pain is moderate-severe. Most migraineurs experience head-
ache every one to third month. Based on the results of this study the
prevalence of migraine in Iceland is in the lower range of reported
prevalence.
P26 - Maternal obstetric neuropathies in lower extremities:
Frequency, localizations, etiology and prognosis
Hjaltason H, Vigfússon G, Hauksdóttir S, Steingrímsdóttir Þ, Ólafsson H
Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland
Objectives: Determine the frequency, etiology and clinical features of
maternal neuropathies in the lower extremities in a general obstetric
population, presenting during childbirth.
Subjects and methood: The cases were identified by reviewing all
neurological consultations from the department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology in Iceland University Hospital during a 25 month
period. A further analysis included a careful assessment of patient
charts, and when necessary further information was obtained by an
interview and physical examination. During the study period there
were 5902 deliveries in this hospital, approximately 75% of all
deliveries in the country.
Results: A total of 11 women with a peripheral neuropathy were
identified or 1.8/1000 deliveries. Motor and sensory deficits were in
8/11 cases consistent with a unilateral L5 radiculopathy, in 4 cases
combined with S1 symptomatology. The cause was determined as a
compression of the lumbosacral plexus during labour in 4 cases, in 2
cases compression of other peripheral nerves, in 2 cases epidural/
spinal anesthesia, in 1 case a herniated intervertebral disc, and in 2
cases the cause was left undetermined. The most distinguishing
symptoms of the 2 cases related to anesthesia were unpleasant pares-
thesia, in those cases the prognosis was worse. The causal frequency
of neuropathies related to labour was thus 4/5902 (0.7/1000) and to
anesthesia 2/2645 (0.8/1000).
Conclusion: Maternal neurological deficits in the lower extremities
are uncommon but important complications of labour and delivery.
Compression caused by labour and delivery seems to be the most
common cause but there are difficulties, especially during prologned
labour, in differentiating the significance of compression and a more
direct trauma caused by spinal/epidural anesthesia.
P27 - The “Interferonal” - documentation and quality assurance.
Documentation and quality assurance of nursing for patients with
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in interferon-beta treatment (IFN)
Bangsgaard L', Eskildsen M2, Hansen A3, Krogh H4
'University Hospital Glostrup, 'Odensc University Hospital, 'Copenhagen University
Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 'Viborg/Kjellerup Hospital
Background: In connection with the introduction of IFN treatment
in Denmark (1996) the ndividual nurse had a need for a working tool.
The working tool had to be described to give the possibility for
documentation of the tasks of the nurse.
Goal: Make the nursing visible
High professional standard
Efficient resource exploitation
Quality assurance
Method: Group projects
Education
Information retrieval
Questionnaire study
Condusion: The working tool has now been implemented in own
practise since January 1999. The visibility of the nursing has been
made possible. The target for the quality development in nursing the
MS patient in IFN treatment is to increase the specialised level of
quality and aim at a high satisfaction among both patients and the
professionals. The Interferonal is a good tool that works satisfactory
according to the patients. Our goal for acquiring a high professional
standard is hereby obtained. 95% of the patients who were asked
found the information satisfactory. Through this tool we have docu-
mented and made the nursing visible and the patients have clearly
expressed the importance of having a permanent contact nurse.
Future visiuns: In each clinic we will adjust practise from the results
of the questionnaire study so the nursing is quality assured. We will
also continue to work with the nursing to all other MS patients. We
will, at the same way we have quality assured the nursing to patient in
IFN treatment, continue to work with developing standards for new
diagnosed MS patients.
P29 - Women's Experience of Multiple Sclerosis
Jónsdóttir H', Sigurðardóttir GM2, Hafsteinsdóttir JF, Björnsdóttir ÓE2
1 Assoc. Professor Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, :National University
Hospital Reykjavik, Iceland
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe women's
experience of multiple sclerosis in order to increase insight of nurses
and other health care staff into the daily life of women who suffer
from this disease.
A convenience sample of three women, age 38-51 years who had
lived with multiple sclerosis for a few years, was used. Each woman
was interviewed twice and data analyzed into themes. Results
revealed the following six themes, which are intertwined and ordered
by importance: Diagnosis, a turning point in life, Various obstacles in
daily life, “I'm not about to die soon, but I have to live with this”,
“More prone to gloomy thoughts”, Building a support network and
“I want to be treated with respect”. The results show that multiple
sclerosis greatly affected the participants in a number of ways. The
disease caused a turmoil in the women's lives and changed their
future plans.
The women felt incapable of attending to their famihes and their
homes in the way they wanted to and the disease also affected their
children's upbringing. The women greatly valued having a good
support network, which primarily consisted of their families and
female friends from the Multiple Sclerosis Association. It is con-
cluded that nurses need to further emphasize supporting those who
suffer from multiple sclerosis and their families, as well as providing
them with more detailed information and counseling.
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