Publication:

Prevalence of anaemia in obstetric fistula patients in Abakaliki

Background Obstetric fistula remains a devastating condition among economically marginalised members of the society. Anaemia can result from inadequate intake of nutrients due to poverty. The study aims to assess the prevalence of anemia in obstetric fistula patients.

Methods A retrospective study was carried out at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki, Nigeria to determine the prevalence of anaemia among obstetric fistula patients. Data were retrieved from the case record of patients and analysis was done using SPSS version 20.

Result Out of the 136 patients studied, 87 (63.9%) were petty traders and farmers. Eighty-nine (65.4%) were anaemic while 19 (13.9%) had packed cell volume of 30% and below.

Conclusion Two-thirds of the patients were anaemic based on WHO's cut off and this is higher than global and local prevalence of anaemia in non-pregnant women. Therefore, it is reasonable to suspect anaemia in obstetric fistula patients and correction of same should start as early as possible in order to minimize the complications of anaemia in this group of patients.