Breech presentation at a district level hospital in South Africa

Introduction: The Term Breech Trial has led to obstetricians opting for Caesarean section as the mode of delivery for this presentation, even in poor countries. Concerns related to this approach are the resultant increase in Caesarean section rates and their associated complications, particularly in under-resourced countries, which are faced with financial and human-resource expertise constraints.Method: This was a retrospective chart review of women who presented at term with a singleton breech presentation at the antenatal clinic and in labour, from January 2005 to December 2007, at a district level hospital in South Africa.Results: There was a total of 19 197 deliveries, of which 466 were singleton term breech deliveries, giving a rate of 2.4%. Of the 297 women who had antenatal care and had been allocated to planned Caesarean section, 271 had the planned operation. There were no neonatal deaths in the planned Caesarean section group. The emergency Caesarean section group and the group in which no decision was made on the mode of delivery were associated with higher maternal complication rates than in the group that had planned Caesarean sections. The highest neonatal complication rate was in the group that had unplanned vaginal deliveries.Conclusion: In a district hospital in South Africa, the mode of delivery for breech presentations is usually a planned Caesarean section. Unplannedvaginal deliveries are associated with significant perinatal mortality.Keywords: breech deliveries; district hospital; poor countrie

An audit of surgical termination of pregnancy at a level 1 health facility in South Africa

Background: It was alleged that the termination of pregnancy (TOP) services in a certain district health facility were forgoing the opportunity to offer screening tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis for women seeking legal medical abortions. In addition, there were concerns regarding the lack of provision of contraceptive services, particularly in view of media reports of young women having repeated TOP procedures as a family planning method. It was therefore decided to perform an audit of the TOP services at this district health facility.Method: A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from all women undergoing a TOP during a sixmonth period at a district hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Demographic information, clinical details and attitudes towards TOP were obtained. All women were interviewed in private prior to discharge from the clinic.Results: A total of 645 women were enrolled. Their mean age was 23 (range 15-44) years and 437 (67.8%) were primiparous. Of the 645 women, contraceptive failure (condom) occurred in 38 cases (6%). Two hundred and twenty-two (34.4%) had previously used a family planning method, the most common being depot preparations (35.1%), followed by condoms (28.9%) and oral contraception (15.8%). One hundred and nine (16.9%) women accepted the condoms offered while the remainder indicated that they would obtain contraceptives from the family planning clinic in their area of residence. Twentynine (5%) had at least one previous TOP while 25 (86%) and four (14%) had second and third requests for TOP respectively. None of the women had any serological screening tests performed or were given information about testing for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV screening, prior to discharge from the clinic.Conclusion: Women having TOP at this district hospital are not offered counselling and information on screening for sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, few women take up the offer of contraceptives. There is a need for health care providers to strengthen reproductive health services at TOP clinics.Keywords: surgical termination of pregnancy, contraception, unwanted pregnancy, Durban, South Afric

Second-stage primary Caesarean deliveries: Are maternal complications increased?

Background: Second-stage Caesarean sections (CSs) are known to be associated with increased complications but most reports originate fromtertiary hospitals, which attend to high-risk patients. Complication rates may differ in district hospitals, which attend to low-risk patients.Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out at a district maternity unit in Durban. The hospital records of all CSs over an eight-month periodwere reviewed and obstetric and neonatal complications of second-stage CSs were compared with a group of first-stage CSs performed during thestudy period.Results: There were 4 654 deliveries, including 1 257 CSs, in the study period. The CS rate was 27.2%. Of 617 (8.5%) emergency CSs, 53 wereperformed in the second stage of labour.The maternal and neonatal complication rates were low and no statistical differences were found between the patients who had second-stage orthose who had first-stage CSs, except for increased blood loss, blood-stained urine, prolonged operative times and postoperative fever for secondstageCSs.Conclusions: Second-stage CSs performed in a district hospital are associated with increased maternal complication rates but not with neonatalcomplications

A randomised controlled trial of suture materials used for caesarean section skin closure: Do wound infection rates differ?

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine wound complication rates following the use of suture materials and staples for skin closure at caesarean section (CS). Study design: A randomised, controlled, prospective study was undertaken.Results. A total of 1 100 women was assigned randomly into 3 groups: polyglycolic acid (PGA) suture group (N=361), skin staple (SS) group (N=373) and nylon suture group (N=366). The overall wound infection rate was 7%. There was no difference in respect of number of patients, age, parity and gestation between the study groups. Those who had nylon sutures as opposed to PGA sutures were 9.5 times more likely to experience wound infection (p=0.055). Women who had SS were at 6.93 times higher risk of wound infection than those who had PGA sutures (p=0.014). Other factors influencing wound infection rates included: rupture of membranes >12 hours were 13.7 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9 - 47.9, p <0.0001) more likely to have wound infection than those with rupture of membranes <12 hours. For every 1-minute increase of surgery duration, the risk of infection increased 1.094 times (95% CI 1.046 - 1.145; p <0.0001). HIV-infected women were 53.4% less likely to develop wound infection than their uninfected counterparts (odds ratio 0.466, 95% CI 0.238 - 0.913; p =0.026). As the time period of observation increased from baseline to day 3 and from day 3 to day 10, wound infection risk increased by 35 times (95% CI 8.155 - 150.868; p <0.001).Conclusion. The use of SS for CS wound closure is associated with a significantly greater risk of wound infections. SS for wound closure at CS is not recommended for use in South African district hospitals.S Afr Med J 2012;102(6):374-376

Training and expertise in undertaking assisted vaginal delivery (AVD): a mixed methods systematic review of practitioners views and experiences

Abstract: Background: During childbirth, complications may arise which necessitate an expedited delivery of the fetus. One option is instrumental assistance (forceps or a vacuum-cup), which, if used with skill and sensitivity, can improve maternal/neonatal outcomes. This review aimed to understand the core competencies and expertise required for skilled use in AVD in conjunction with reviewing potential barriers and facilitators to gaining competency and expertise, from the point of view of maternity care practitioners, funders and policy makers. Methods: A mixed methods systematic review was undertaken in five databases. Inclusion criteria were primary studies reporting views, opinions, perspectives and experiences of the target group in relation to the expertise, training, behaviours and competencies required for optimal AVD, barriers and facilitators to achieving practitioner competencies, and to the implementation of appropriate training. Quality appraisal was carried out on included studies. A mixed-methods convergent synthesis was carried out, and the findings were subjected to GRADE-CERQual assessment of confidence. Results: 31 papers, reporting on 27 studies and published 1985–2020 were included. Studies included qualitative designs (3), mixed methods (3), and quantitative surveys (21). The majority (23) were from high-income countries, two from upper-middle income countries, one from a lower-income country: one survey included 111 low-middle countries. Confidence in the 10 statements of findings was mostly low, with one exception (moderate confidence). The review found that AVD competency comprises of inter-related skill sets including non-technical skills (e.g. behaviours), general clinical skills; and specific technical skills associated with particular instrument use. We found that practitioners needed and welcomed additional specific training, where a combination of teaching methods were used, to gain skills and confidence in this field. Clinical mentorship, and observing others confidently using the full range of instruments, was also required, and valued, to develop competency and expertise in AVD. However, concerns regarding poor outcomes and litigation were also raised. Conclusion: Access to specific AVD training, using a combination of teaching methods. Complements, but does not replace, close clinical mentorship from experts who are positive about AVD, and opportunities to practice emerging AVD skills with supportive supervision. Further research is required to ascertain effective modalities for wider training, education, and supportive supervision for optimal AVD use

A randomised controlled trial on suture materials for skin closure at caesarean section: Do wound infection rates differ?

Objective.The aim of this study was to determine wound complication rates following the use of suture materials and staples for skin closure at caesarean section (CS). Study design: A randomised, controlled, prospective study was undertaken. Results. A total of 1 100 women was assigned randomly into 3 groups: polyglycolic acid (PGA) suture group (N=361), skin staple (SS) group (N=373) and nylon suture group (N=366). The overall wound infection rate was 7%. There was no difference in respect of number of patients, age, parity and gestation between the study groups. Those who had nylon sutures as opposed to PGA sutures were 9.5 times more likely to experience wound infection (p=0.055). Women who had SS were at 6.93 times higher risk of wound infection than those who had PGA sutures (p=0.014). Other factors influencing wound infection rates included: rupture of membranes >12 hours were 13.7 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9 - 47.9,