Common menstrual disorders in adolescence: nursing interventions.
Menstrual disorders such as amenorrhea, excessive uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual syndrome are common reasons for visits to healthcare providers by adolescent girls. Although menstrual irregularity can be normal during the first few years after menarche, other menstrual signs and symptoms may indicate a pathological condition that requires prompt attention and referral. This article discusses four common menstrual disorders seen in adolescent girls and focuses on specific nursing interventions aimed at eliciting an accurate menstrual history, providing confidentiality and communicating therapeutically, administering culturally sensitive care, and promoting independence and self-care.
McEvoy
Mimi
M
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. mcevoy@aecom.yu.edu
Chang
Jane
J
Coupey
Susan M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods; D009839:Oligomenorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing