Publication:

Prophylactic and emergency cesareans: a comparative study on 718 observations at the maternity ward of Ignace Deen National hospital

Background The objective of the study is to compare the frequency, the socio-demographic characteristics, the indications, the fetal maternal prognosis and the Robson classification of prophylactic and emergency caesarean sections.

Methods This was a comparative study of prophylactic and emergency caesarean sections at the maternity of Ignace Deen national hospital. It was a 12 month (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017) descriptive and analytical study.

Results Prophylactic caesarean sections accounted for 12, 51% of caesarean sections and 3.96% of deliveries at the ward. Prophylactic caesarean sections involved pregnant women aged from 20 to 29, holder of higher education degrees (51.54%), married (92.76%) employed (56.83%) and whose prenatal visit was provided by the obstetrician (73.54%). While the emergency caesarean section concerned parturient aged between 20 and 34, mostly non-schooled (36.49%), transferred patients (80.22%) and nulliparous (58.5%). Surgical indications were mainly scarred uterus (32.32%) and maternal pathologies (18.11%) prophylaxis; bleeding in the last quarter (25.90%) acute fetal distress (20.33%) in emergency. Groups 6 and 5 of the Robson classification were the most represented with a 2.23% morbidity and a zero maternal lethality in prophylaxis versus groups 5 and 6 with a 10.03% morbidity and a 1.67% maternal lethality in emergency.

Conclusions Improving this prognosis would be achieved through an increase in the frequency of prophylactic caesarean sections.