Menorrhagia in adolescents

Assessing Heavy Periods

The pictorial blood assessment chart is a semi-objective way of quantifying the amount of blood loss per menstrual cycle by recording the number and saturation of sanitary pads or tampons. Each row of the pictorial blood assessment chart (on the next page) represents a day of the month. Start using the chart on the 1st day of any given month. Count the number of sanitary pads and/or tampons you use each day (over 24 hours) for one month, indicating the amount of saturation. Calculate a score for each day using the scoring system below, then add up the score at the end of the month. 

 

What to do if you have:

• Bleeding between periods: If you also experience bleeding between periods that requires sanitary protection, please record this on the relevant days.
• C l o t s : If you pass clots, please indicate this on the relevant days and the approximate size (i.e. closer to an Australian 5 cent or 50 cent piece).
• Double protection: If you use both a pad and a tampon at the same time and both sanitary items are stained with blood, please include both sanitary items on the assessment chart.
• F l o o d i n g : If you experience any episodes of flooding/overflowing/staining of clothing/ underwear,  please indicate the number of episodes on the relevant d a y s .                                        
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