PERCEPTION OF LEBANESE WOMEN ON PREFERRED MODE OFDELIVERY AND ITS ASSOCIATED COMPLICATIONS

Cesarean section, since ancient times, has been known to be an alternative mode to normal vaginal delivery. It is clinically indicated in certain situations. However, nowadays, Cesarean section rates are increased worldwide and in Lebanon, and instead of being an alternative, it has become the primary choice for certain women and physicians, who decide that their patients should go for that option. The purpose of our study was to investigate the perception of Lebanese women towards different modes of delivery in Lebanon. A cross- sectional study was conducted, where participants, aged 18 to 55, were selected in different regions across Lebanon, and were asked to fill a questionnaire with regards to their perception. Data were collected about preferred modes of delivery, women’s awareness towards vaginal and caesarean deliveries and their associated complications. 388 women agreed to participate. The majority were less than 25 years old (around 40%). The majority preferred vaginal delivery (79.5%) over Cesarean section. No significant association was found between age and preferred modes of delivery. The main reasons for preferring vaginal delivery were shorter hospital stay and faster postpartum recovery. 96.3% who underwent C-section stated that it was emergent rather than planned. Of those who preferred Caesarean delivery, main reasons were the fear of pain and believing that it is a safe procedure. As for perception on complications, 50% believed that neither vaginal delivery nor cesarean section increased maternal death. Short term fetal respiratory distress was believed to be less after vaginal delivery than after cesarean section

THE CLINICAL BENEFIT OF SERUM PROCALCITONIN LEVELAS COMPARED TO BISAP SCORING SYSTEM FOR PREDICTINGTHE SEVERITY AND PROGNOSIS OF ACUTE PANCREATITIS

Background: Early accurate severity assessment of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) is cruicial to decide on the acute management and predict outcomes and prognosis.This is done through multiple scoring systems of which serum procalcitonin (PCT) and BISAP has shown promising results. However,data comparing these methods is still conflicting. Objectives: we aim to assess the role of PCT as a sole indicator and compare it to BISAP in determining severity and prognosis of AP. Methods: Retrospective chart review of all AP cases between June 2012 and February 2017 at Makassed General Hospital, with at least one reading of PCT documented in records. Data regarding patients’ demographics and outcomes were collected. Procalcitonin levels and trends were compared to severity classes and BISAP scores regarding various outcomes of AP. Results: Forty-four patients met our inclusion criteria. Based on the revised Atlanta classification, 26 patients had mild, four moderate and 14 severe AP. Mean serum PCT levels were found to correlate with severity classes (1.28 with mild versus 4.81 with moderate-severe AP; P \u3c 0 .0001). This was even more prominent on follow-up testing after 48hours (1.67 vs 12.89 respectively; P=0.01). This proportional relation was again noted with BISAP scores of 0,1 and 2 where the mean PCT was 0.1,5.0 and 19.1 respectively. A trend of decrease in serial PCT was also noted with mild as compared to a trend of rising PCT in moderate-severe AP. Conclusion: Initial and serial PCT levels directly correlated with disease severity and might offer significant additional prognostic value in AP