Septic Complications of 100 Abdominal Deliveries in the Rural Tropics

This paper examines the nature of abdominal deliveries in 100 women who presented at the Holy Family Hospital in Ghana, suffering from delivery complications. The main indicator disease for surgery was cephalic- pelvic distortion, previous cesarian section, ruptured uterus, and placenta previa with hemorrhage. The most common septic complication of abdominal deliveries is purulent wound infections. 4 deaths occurred, within 48 hours of surgery, and none of the survivors developed pelvic abscess. Sepsis is the most important factor in maternal morbidity and mortality; risk factors associated with delivery of C-section include inadequate antenatal care, anemia, poor socioeconomic status, prolonged labor with ruptured membranes. However this information must be weighed in the context of the existing environment. Most of the cases present to the hospital in severe distress, having been in labor for many hours. Therefore, it is important to provide comprehensive education through primary health care to traditional birth attendants on issues surrounding pregnancies. For the purpose of prevention of sepsis, prophylactic antibiotics should be used on mothers showing evidence of complications, and more importantly, they should be aggressively administered to those women having ruptured membranes.