Abstract
Objective
Menorrhagia is defined as blood loss of >80 mL, but in routine clinical practice measurement
is seldom undertaken. Our aim was to identify the features of the clinical history
that best predict menorrhagic blood loss.
Study design
A questionnaire survey of 952 menstrual complaint referrals at 3 hospital gynecology
clinics in Glasgow and Edinburgh included 226 women with putatively heavy periods
who also had consented to the measurement of their blood loss.
Results
Only 34% (95% CI, 28%-40%) of women had blood loss volume of >80 mL, but the volume
was associated with subjective heaviness of period. Logistic regression with ferritin
status, clots, and changing rate during full flow correctly predicts a loss of >80
mL for 76% of women (n = 161 patients; sensitivity, 60%; specificity, 86%). Diagnosis and treatment of patients
seem unrelated to the volume of blood loss.
Conclusion
The subjective judgment of the volume of blood loss is better than has been believed.
Clinical features can be combined to predict losses of >80 mL.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
November 10,
2003
Received in revised form:
June 27,
2003
Received:
March 14,
2003
Footnotes
☆Supported by the Chief Scientist's Office, Scotland (K/MRS/50/C2472).
☆Reprints not available from the authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
