Cord prolapse, associated factors and fetal outcome: a report of 47 cases from the Yaounde Central Hospital, Cameroon.

Cord prolapse is a condition in which the umbilical cord comes ahead of the presenting part. Fetal demise occurs as a consequence of the compression of the cord by the presenting part. We conducted this study to determine profile of pregnancy and its outcome at the Central Hospital Yaounde, Cameroon. This was an observational, descriptive and retrospective study of deliveries complicated by cord prolapse between January 2003 and December 2006 at the Central Maternity of the Central Hospital Yaounde. Data was retrieved from patient’s files, operation room registers and admission registers. During this period, there were a total of 6924 deliveries amongst which 47 were complicated by umbilical cord prolapse (2.8 per 1000 deliveries). Among the women with cord prolapse, 62.2% were delivered by emergency caesarean section. Fetal demise was reported in 32 % of the women upon admission. An abnormal pelvis was seen in 25.5% of the women. Artificial rupture of membranes was carried out in 40.4%. This study shows that cord prolapse is associated with severe fetal consequences in our unit. A good knowledge of the risk factors, prompt diagnosis and rapid intervention by medical staff are required.KEY WORDS: Cord prolapsed - Perinatal morbidity and mortality - Caesarean section - Vaginal delivery

A survey of the knowledge, attitude and practice of the labour partogramme among health personnel in seven peripheral hospitals in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Late referrals of complicated labour cases and prolonged labour contribute a major part in maternal morbidity and mortality. The labour partogramme has been shown to be an effective instrument in the follow-up of labour cases. The referal maternities of Yaounde still receive delayed and poorly managed cases of labour from the peripheral hospitals. The rationale of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the labour partogramme among the health personnel in the main centers where referrals come from. We interviewed the personnel of those hospitals who accepted to enroll in the study. Students and those who were not willing to participate in the study were excluded, and the study lasted for 3 months from January to March 2006. Our results showed that the personnel had a good knowledge of the labour partogramme, especially (100%) amongst the doctors. They also had a positive attitude towards the labour partogramme. However, the partogramme was not routinely used, with only 50% of the respondents who accepted using it regularly. Most of them blamed the low rate of use to the unavailability of the partogramme. Despite the very good knowledge of the labour partogramme and the positive attitude towards its use, the rate of use still remains very low. We do recommend that the training of the personnel should be more practical and the labour partogramme made available to both private and public hospitals. An audit system should also be put in place to ensure the effective use of the partogramme.KEY WORDS: Partogramme – Labour – Knowledge – Attitude - Practice

Previous Second Trimester Abortion: A risk factor for third trimester uterine rupture in three subsequent pregnancies. Report of three cases

The authors report on three cases of uterine rupture. The first two cases occurred spontaneously and the third occurred in labour. All the patients refused voluntary termination of pregnancy before surgery. The true story was only re-constituted after surgery. Literature on spontaneous rupture of the uterus is scanty but cases occurring after hysteroscopic metroplasty,resectroscopy for Asherman´s syndrome, hysteroscopic fundal perforation, and voluntary termination of pregnancy and in a primiparous woman are reported. Spontaneous uterine rupture though rare should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a woman who presents with severe pain in the later half of pregnancy, with foetal loss, anaemia, with a stable orunstable hemodynamic status and a past history of unsafe termination of a second trimester pregnancy. Though rare, this possibility should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a prolonged third stage of labour. Thorough clinical history and physical examination of patients remains the cornerstone for accurate diagnosis of uterine rupture

Triple Gestations in Two University Teaching Hospitals in Yaounde, Cameroon

The frequency of triplet pregnancies is increasing due to medically assisted reproduction. This retrospective study, carried out in 2 university hospitals in Yaounde (Cameroon) over a 6-year period, was done to evaluate the complications that occurred during triple pregnancies as well as the mode of delivery of triplets. A total of 43 cases were analyzed. The most common complications that occurred during pregnancy were preterm delivery and pre-eclampsia. Twenty seven women (62.8%) delivered vaginally and 16 (37.2%) were delivered by caesarean section with the most common indications being mal presentation and cord prolapse of the 1st triplet. In patients who have proper antepartum monitoring, it is possible to pre-select cases for trial of vaginal delivery because vaginal delivery is possible and carries no significant risk for the foetuses.Keywords triplet gestations; pre-eclampsia; premature delivery; vaginal delivery; caesarean sectio

Efficacy of highly active triple antiretroviral therapy in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in the university teaching hospitals in Yaounde, Cameroom

Paediatric HIV-infection rates remain high in Cameroon in spite of the various existing preventive strategies. This study will provide scientific evidence that HIV-infected pregnant women receiving highly active triple antiretroviral therapy would be expected to have significantly lower viral loads and a lower risk of HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) without scheduled Caesarean section. We enrolled 90 newly diagnosed HIV-infected pregnant women who accepted to participate in the study from the 4 Teaching Hospitals in Yaoundé between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008. In addition to routine antenatal care, they received two types of potent triple antiretroviral regimens depending on their initial CD4 counts. Drug efficacy and safety were assessed by CD4 count, viral load, liver enzymes level, fasting blood sugar level, blood urea and haemoglobin concentration level before and after treatment and the paediatric seroprevalence rate. Highly active triple antiretroviral therapy was associated with maternal immunological improvement, statistically significant reduction of maternal viral load (P< 0.05) with resultant low paediatric HIV infection rate (1.1%) and minimal maternal biological impairment. Short courses of highly active triple antiretroviral therapy to prevent HIV MTCT is therefore not only efficacious compared to other treatment options like monotherapy, bitherapy, and bitherapy associated with scheduled caesarean section, but also safe and should constitute the mainstay intervention strategy.KEY WORDS: HIV MTCT- Triple antiretroviral therapy- Adverse effects - Paediatric HIV infection rate

Epidemio-Clinical Factors Associated with Caesarean Section in Two Referral Hospitals (Public/Faith-Based), Far-North Region, Cameroon

Caesarean section incurs significant cost and poses a hindrance to healthcare. The aim of the study was to determine maternal, foetal outcomes and cost. This was a cross sectional study conducted at the two health facilities. The study covered an eight month period. The rate of caesarean section was 5.69% and 6.22% at the semi-urban and rural hospital. Adolescents were predominant (27.86%) in the semi-urban group. 70% of the mothers in the rural environment were uneducated. Prenatal consultation of four was carried out by 92% of the rural women. Cephalo-pelvic disproportion remained the main indication for surgery. The type of anaesthesia was general (96.72%) and spinal (83.33%). Post-operative complications were dominated by haemorrhage and infection. The mean cost for surgery was 80.000 F in the semi-urban area. At the rural hospital the cost fixed at 19.000 and 32.000 F. The cost of surgery in the two hospitals is cheap compared to other healthcare facilities in the Country.Keywords caesarean section; maternal and perinatal mortality; maternal morbidity; rural; semi-urban; cos

Gynecological cancer profile in the Yaounde population, Cameroon

This population-based retrospective study was carried out in the Yaounde Population Cancer Registry (YPCR) at the General Hospital Yaounde, Cameroon. The aim was to find out the socio-economic, epidemiologic, anatomic and pathologic profile of patients with gynecological cancers in the Yaounde population. The database of the registry was reviewed between January 1, 2004 and June 30 2005 (18 months). All cases of microscopically confirmed gynecological cancers registered within this period were recruited. Defined as gynecological cancers are cancers of the breast (in women), ovary, uterine corpus, vulva, vagina, and cervix. The results showed that gynecological cancers have a monthly incidence of 30 cases. Whereas cancers of the placenta, vagina, breast, and ovary affect younger adults, endometrial, vulval and cervical cancers predominate in the elderly. 58% of the women were aged between 34-54 years. Most patients are from the West (30.55%), Centre (28.90%) and Littoral (10.00%) provinces respectively. The commonest cancers are the breast (48.12%), cervix (40.18%), and ovary (5.82%) at respective average ages of 42.80 years (19-76 years range), 53.08 years (24-78 years range) and 44.22 years (9-75 years range). Cancers of the uterine corpus are rare. Most patients were illiterate, of low to average socio-economic status, presenting at advanced stage of disease. Cancer of the breast is common in the upper social class; while malignancies of the cervix, endometrium, and vagina predominate in the low and middle classes. Only 17.5% of our patients had been previously screened for any form of cancer prior to present disease. We had no data on family history of cancer. We recommend intensive public health education and sensitization of women on primary and secondary prevention especially for cervical and breast cancers. Gynaecological services should be vulgarized and existing ones improved with defined referral and counter referral systems. Further in-depth studies to document trends on cancer survival are recommended. Clinics in Mother and Child Health Vol. 3(1) 2006: 437-44

Effectiveness of post-partum family planning interventions on contraceptive use and method mix at 1 year after childbirth in Kinshasa, DR Congo (Yam Daabo): a single-blind, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND:In rural Burkina Faso, a package of six low-technology, post-partum contraceptive interventions (ie, refresher training for providers, a counselling tool, supportive supervision, daily availability of contraceptive services, client appointment cards, and invitation letters to attend appointments for partners), aimed at strengthening existing primary health-care services and enhancing demand for them, doubled the use of modern contraceptives at 12 months post partum (ie, 55% uptake in intervention recipients vs 29% in routine-care users). This study assessed the effect of a similar package but in urban settings of Kinshasa province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an effort to reduce the unmet need for post-partum family planning. METHODS:Yam Daabo was a multi-intervention, single-blinded, cluster-randomised controlled trial done in six primary health-care centres (clusters) in Kinshasa. Centres were randomly allocated to receive the six-component intervention or standard antenatal and postnatal care in matched pairs (1:1) on the basis of number of monthly births, the ratio of health workers per population in the health zone, and the urban and suburban settings. Only data analysts could be masked to cluster allocation. Health-care facilities were eligible if they provided a continuum of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care, were well stocked with contraceptives, and were situated close to the main study centre. All pregnant women presenting to the six centres were eligible if they were in their third pregnancy trimester and had no counterindications to deliver in the facility. The main outcome was prevalence of use of modern contraceptives at 12 months after delivery. Analysis was by modified intention-to-treat using generalised linear mixed models or Fisher's exact test for small groups. Prevalence ratios were adjusted for cluster effects and baseline characteristics. This study was registered with the Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR201609001784334). FINDINGS:From July 1, 2016, to Feb 2, 2017, eight of 52 clinics assessed for eligibility met the criteria and were randomised. Of 690 women approached, 576 (83%) women were enrolled: 286 in the four intervention clusters and 290 in the four control clusters. Of them, 519 (90%) completed the 12-month study exit interview (252 in the intervention group and 267 in the control group) and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 12 months, 115 (46%) of 252 women in the intervention group and 94 (35%) of 267 in the control group were using modern contraceptives (adjusted prevalence ratio [PR] 1·58, 95% CI 0·74-3·38), with significant differences in the use of contraceptive implants (22% vs 6%; adjusted PR 4·36, 95% CI 1·96-9·70), but without difference in the use of short-acting contraceptives (23% vs 28%; 0·92, 0·29-2·98) and non-modern or inappropriate methods (7% vs 18%; 0·45, 0·13-1·54). There were no serious adverse events or maternal deaths related to the study. INTERPRETATION:The Yam Daabo intervention package did not have a significant effect on the overall use of effective modern contraceptives but significantly increased implant use in women post partum who live in urban settings in Kinshasa up to a year after childbirth. However, interferences from external family planning initiatives in the control group might have diminished differences between the services received. Such an intervention could be potentially relevant in similar contexts in DR Congo and other countries. FUNDING:Government of France; UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction

Potential Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy and Screening on Cervical Cancer Mortality in HIV-Positive Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Simulation

Despite having high cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates, screening for cervical precancerous lesions remains infrequent in sub-Saharan Africa. The need to screen HIV-positive women because of the higher prevalence and faster progression of cervical precancerous lesions may be heightened by the increased access to highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Policymakers need quantitative data on the effect of HAART and screening to better allocate limited resources. Our aim was to quantify the potential effect of these interventions on cervical cancer mortality.We constructed a Markov state-transition model of a cohort of HIV-positive women in Cameroon. Published data on the prevalence, progression and regression of lesions as well as mortality rates from HIV, cervical cancer and other causes were incorporated into the model. We examined the potential impact, on cumulative cervical cancer mortality, of four possible scenarios: no HAART and no screening (NHNS), HAART and no screening (HNS), HAART and screening once on HAART initiation (HSHI), and HAART and screening once at age 35 (HS35). Our model projected that, compared to NHNS, lifetime cumulative cervical cancer mortality approximately doubled with HNS. It will require 262 women being screened at HAART initiation to prevent one cervical cancer death amongst women on HAART. The magnitudes of these effects were most sensitive to the rate of progression of precancerous lesions.Screening, even when done once, has the potential of reducing cervical cancer mortality among HIV-positive women in Africa. The most feasible and cost-effective screening strategy needs to be determined in each setting

Gynaecological morbidity among HIV positive pregnant women in Cameroon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To compare the prevalence of gynaecological conditions among HIV infected and non-infected pregnant women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two thousand and eight (2008) pregnant women were screened for HIV, lower genital tract infections and lower genital tract neoplasia at booking antenatal visit.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>About 10% (198/2008) were HIV positive. All lower genital tract infections except candidiasis were more prevalent among HIV positive compared to HIV negative women: vaginal candidiasis (36.9% vs 35.4%; <it>p </it>= 0.678), Trichomoniasis (21.2% vs 10.6%; <it>p </it>< 0.001), gonorrhoea (10.1% vs 2.5%; <it>p </it>< 0.001), bacterial vaginosis (21.2% vs 15.2%; <it>p </it>= 0.026), syphilis (35.9% vs 10.6%; <it>p </it>< 0.001), and <it>Chlamydia trachomatis </it>(38.4% vs 7.1%; <it>p </it>< 0.001). Similarly, HIV positive women more likely to have preinvasive cervical lesions: low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) (18.2% vs 4.4%; <it>p </it>< 0.001) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (12.1% vs 1.5%; <it>p </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that (i) sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common in both HIV positive and HIV negative pregnant women in Cameroon, and (ii) STIs and preinvasive cervical lesions are more prevalent in HIV-infected pregnant women compared to their non-infected compatriots. We recommend routine screening and treatment of STIs during antenatal care in Cameroon and other countries with similar social profiles.</p