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Copyright of Mali Médical is the property of Mali Medical, Faculte de Medecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odonto-stomatologie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

OBJECTIVES: To explore women's experiences of the relatively uncommon postnatal illness of puerperal psychosis, and to gain understanding into living through and past the illness. DESIGN: An interview-based study using grounded theory principles to analyse the qualitative data. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 10 women who had been diagnosed and treated for puerperal psychosis (defined according to DSM-IV criteria, with onset within six weeks of childbirth) during the last 10 years. RESULTS: Three main categories were identified from the interviews: puerperal psychosis as a separate form of mental illness, loss, and relationships and social rules. Further, two higher order concepts were identified, termed 'living with emotions' and 'regaining and changing self'. These concepts emerged across, and linked, the categories previously identified. CONCLUSIONS: Women felt that the illness took away the ability to experience normal emotions, as affective responses were viewed as potentially pathogenic. Although puerperal psychosis was described as a life-changing experience, the women used feeling like their 'old sense of self' as a marker for recovery. Anger and frustration were directed towards health services because of their lack of provision of adequate information and support for the women and their families. More support may have alleviated the stresses placed on relationships and informed families about the nature of the illness. Further work is needed to establish the long-term effects of suffering from puerperal psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article on the significance of FloTrac during phaeochromocytoma surgery.