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Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pressure placed on the shoulders as a function of varying degrees of head-down tilt (the Trendelenburg position) and to compare these pressures among 3 different patient-positioning systems., Study Design: Participants were placed in the dorsal-lithotomy position with arms tucked and tilted at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 degrees of head-down tilt. Using a manometer, we measured the pressure (centimeters of water) on the shoulders at each angle for 3 support devices: the Skytron shoulder support (Skytron, Grand Rapids, MI), the Allen shoulder support (Allen Medical Systems, Acton, MA), and the Allen Hug-u-Vac., Results: Among 23 participants, body mass index (mean ± SD) was 24.5 ± 4.3 kg/m(2). As the tilt angle increased, so did the shoulder pressure for all support systems. At a 30-degree Trendelenburg position, the Allen Hug-u-Vac transmitted less pressure to the shoulders than the Skytron (right and left, P < .001) and the Allen shoulder supports system (right, P < .001; left, P = .434). Each participant was asked, "Which system was most comfortable?" Seventy-four percent of the participants reported that they preferred the Hug-u-Vac (P < .001)., Conclusion: Shoulder pressure increases as tilt angle increases. Of the 3 support systems that were tested, the Allen Hug-u-Vac transmitted less pressure to the shoulders at a 30-degree Trendelenburg position than the Skytron and the Allen shoulder support systems., (Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We sought to evaluate the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among a diverse group of women and to determine if race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status (SES) are factors in treatment-seeking behavior., Study Design: All data were collected from the National Institutes of Health-supported Boston Area Community Health Survey. SES was calculated by a 2-factor index that combined household income with years of education. Inferential statistics comprised 1-way analysis of variance, with a post hoc Scheffé test performed to evaluate whether there were differences between individual groups. A χ(2) test was used to evaluate whether distributions were equal among the various questions by race/ethnicity and SES category., Results: A total of 3205 women were included in the analysis. Hispanic ethnicity and younger age were associated with POP (P < .002 and P < .001, respectively) as well as with seeking treatment for prolapse (P = .007 and P < .001, respectively). These factors were also associated with subsequent surgical repair (P = .027 and P = .019, respectively). A regression model showed that women were 4.9% more likely to seek treatment for every year younger they were, across the range of age. Although women of a higher SES were more likely to have POP, SES was neither associated with a higher likelihood of seeking treatment nor with the surgical management of prolapse., Conclusion: Hispanic ethnicity and younger age were associated with seeking treatment for POP. Hispanics were more likely than whites or blacks to proceed with surgical management. There was no correlation of SES with any of the above factors., (Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)