Survival Modeling on the Determinants of Time to Recovery from Obstetric Fistula: The Case of Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center, Ethiopia

Background. An obstetric fistula is an abnormal opening between the vagina, rectum, and/or bladder. Obstetric fistula has a devastating impact on women’s physical, social, and psychological health. Despite the numerous health consequences in developing countries, including Ethiopia, there have been few studies on the determinants of time to recovery from obstetric fistula. Therefore, this study is aimed at addressing the gap. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was employed to include 328 randomly selected records of women admitted for obstetric fistula treatment at Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center from January 2015 to 2020. Data collected from the medical records was coded and entered into SPSS software version 20 and exported to STATA 10 and R statistical software for data cleaning and data analysis. The Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were computed to explore the data. The log-logistic inverse Gaussian shared frailty model was employed using a 95% CI, and variables with a p value < 0.05 were declared as determinants of recovery time. Results. Of 328 fistula patients, 293 (89.33%) were physically cured. The Kaplan-Meier result showed that the overall mean and median survival time of time to recovery from obstetric fistula patients at Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center is 42 and 33 days, respectively. In a log-logistic inverse Gaussian shared frailty model analysis, extensive fistula size (AHR : 1.282; 95% CI = 1.175-1.388), secondary and above education level (AHR : 0.830; 95% CI = 0.693-0.967), rural residence (AHR : 1.357; 95% CI = 1.236-1.479), and physiotherapy use (AHR:0.801, 95% CI=0662-0.940, 95% CI=1.175-1.388) were statistically significant predictors of recovery from obstetrics fistula. Conclusion. Rural place of residence, home delivery, and large and extensive size of the fistula prolong the timing of healing from the obstetric fistula. However, having tall height, physiotherapy treatment, secondary and above-educated women, and RVF type of fistula has a short time of healing for obstetric fistula in Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center. Therefore, we recommend that health professionals promote institutional delivery and physiotherapy, shorten the duration of catheterization, and manage urine incontinence. In addition, we recommend that the regional health bureau promotes female education and pregnancy after 18 years. The survival probability of patients with obstetric fistulas is better predicted by the log-logistic inverse Gaussian shared frailty model. Therefore, it would be good for future researchers to take this model into account

Adverse obstetric outcomes in public hospitals of southern Ethiopia: the role of parity

Purpose:Direct obstetric causes have a significant contribution for severe maternal morbidities and mortalities, although the effect of grand multiparity on adverse obstetric outcomes remains controversial across studies. This study aimed to compare obstetric outcomes in grand multiparous and low multiparous women in two hospitals of southern Ethiopia. Materials and methods:A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in one general and one comprehensive specialized hospitals in 2018. Four hundred and sixty-one mothers were included in the study. Data were collected by structured questionnaire and extraction sheets from clinical documents, and were analyzed using STATA version 14 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). Results:About 39% of the included mothers had at least one adverse obstetric outcome. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, antepartum hemorrhage, and premature rupture of membrane and were higher in the grand multiparous mothers. However, obstructed labor and risk of cesarean delivery were higher in low multiparous women. History of medical illnesses, previous cesarean delivery, and high birth weight were independent predictors of adverse maternal outcomes regardless of parity. However, parity did not show statistically significant difference in obstetric outcomes. Conclusion:Parity did not show statistically significant difference in experiencing adverse obstetric outcomes in women. Early identification and treatment of high-risk mothers is recommended regardless of parity