Abstract
A prospective randomised controlled study was performed in order to study the effectiveness of a device designed to reduce the variability in intra-abdominal pressures generated by individuals performing the Valsalva manoeuvre. One hundred women were recruited to take part in the project which compared a traditional Valsalva manoeuvre following standardised verbal instruction with forced expiration through a flow restriction device called a ‘valsalvometer’. The abdominal pressure was measured using an air-filled rectal balloon catheter linked to a pressure transducer. The use of the valsalvometer was associated with a reduction in variation of intra-abdominal pressure between women to 50% of the standard deviation. The new device has the capacity to reduce the variation in intra-abdominal pressure produced when performing the Valsalva manoeuvre. The rise in intra-abdominal pressure may act as a standard against which other measurements are made.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the following contributors to the work presented in this paper–Angela Bryant BSc (Hons) RN and Samantha Whalley RN.
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Greenland, H.P., Hosker, G.L. & Smith, A.R.B. A valsalvometer can be effective in standardising the Valsalva manoeuvre. Int Urogynecol J 18, 499–502 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0186-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0186-7