Is it necessary to do a smear test on a patient that has had no mentstrual bleeding for a year.?

Question:

I saw a patient at the doctor,s surgery that I work in for a new patient health check. I asked her when was the last time that she had a smear. She said it had been a year and a half. This was done abroad. She has no mentstrual bleeding for a year. It is wise practice to perform a smear test on this patient. I asked the nurse in the surgery where I work and she said yes that it was ok. She did the smear after I spoke to the patient.

Answers:
Some practitioners believe that in women over 40, a pap smear is only necessary every 3 years if the woman has no history of any cellular changes on her previous paps. Others insist on a pap every year, because cell changes can happen at any time, and it's best to catch them as early as possible.

Regardless, if a woman has a cervix, she needs to have regular paps done, in whatever time-frame she and her practitioner agree upon. If she's had a hysterectomy, she should still have vaginal smears done periodically.

Because periods have stopped, it does'nt mean you cannot develope cancerous cells.

should you discuss patients? what happened to confidentiality

Yes its necessary. You're supposed to have one once a year just to make sure you're not developing cancer. If you have problems you usually get them more often than that.

The bbc website will inform you what is normal practise

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/womens_healt...

that could be even more of a cause to do a test.. it wont hurt..

In the UK, normal recall for smears is 3 yearly for women 25-50 if they have negative results. 5 yearly for 50-65. A smear is not necessarily indicated for this lady if she has had a negative result. However, her lack of bleeding needs to be investigated if she is not pregnant (clearly not if not bled for 12mths+). This should be done by the GP and include a vaginal examination and possibly some blood tests to check hormone levels. GP may request a smear just to make sure nothing is being missed although it is not an immediate indication. Above all, the patient must be reassured and have things explained to her fully.

Yes. Smear tests are an essential part of every woman's life. Every two years is ideal. It doesn't matter if she is sexually active or not; they should still be done - although the rate of cervical cancer in nuns is very low!!

The pap smear must be done to screen for cervical cancer. It doesn't matter if the patient hasn't had a menstrual period. In fact, gyns still perform pap smears even after a hysterectomy, when the uterus has been removed.

A smeat test is done to asses the cells within your cervix/uterus for abnormal cells which could indicate cancer or other forms of abnormality. The earlier the abnormal cells are noticed the quicker a resolution/treatment for it can be put into place.

GP's reccomend that these tests are performed regularly, and even more so as a woman ages. It is not determined by sexual activity or menstrual activity.

Is it necessary to do a smear test on a patient that has had no mentstrual bleeding for a year.?

Health Resources