Postoperative Surgical Site Infection among Patients with Caesarean Delivery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Surgical site infections are the commonest nosocomial infections following surgeries. They not only increase the morbidity and mortality following surgeries but also have a great impact both psychologically and financially. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of postoperative surgical site infection among patients with caesarean delivery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a tertiary care centre after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 495(6-11)E2 077/078). Data from 1 July 2021 to 1 July 2022 were collected between 1 September 2022 to 30 November 2022 from the hospital records. All the pregnant women undergoing caesarean delivery during the study period were included. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Out of 1326 patients who underwent caesarean delivery, surgical site infection was seen in 38 (2.86%) (1.96-3.76, 95% Confidence Interval). Among 38 women, anaemia was seen in 11 (28.94%), diabetes mellitus in 6 (15.79%) and hypertension in 5 (13.16%). Conclusions: The prevalence of surgical site infection following caesarean delivery was found to be lower than other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: hypertension; prevalence; surgical site infection.

Severe hepatitis E infection in pregnancy: a case report.

Hepatitis E virus causes self limiting hepatitis most of the times but, during pregnancy it can lead to severe hepatitis along with various complications thereby increasing the mortality. Case presentation: A 27-year-old woman gravida two, para one at 38 weeks and 6 days of gestation presented with multiple episodes of nonbilious vomiting, severe dehydration, and later developed right upper quadrant abdominal pain. The patient had a positive serological test for the hepatitis E virus, and liver enzymes were severely elevated. Under supportive treatment she delivered a healthy baby, and her liver enzymes returned to normal levels after 2 weeks of delivery. Clinical discussion: Although the hepatitis E virus usually causes self-limiting hepatitis, it can quickly progress to severe hepatitis, liver failure, and even death during pregnancy. Immunological change with a Th2 biased response and increased hormonal levels during pregnancy could possibly facilitate the development of severe liver damage. No particular drug has been approved for the treatment of hepatitis E viral infection in pregnant women, and the commonly used drugs are contraindicated due to the risk of teratogenicity. Supportive therapy and intensive monitoring are the core management techniques for hepatitis E virus infection in pregnant women. Conclusion: Due to the high mortality risk, pregnant women should try to avoid possible exposure to the hepatitis E virus, but once infected, symptomatic therapy is the mainstay.

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause among Postmenopausal Women in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Genitourinary syndrome of menopause incorporates vulvovaginal and lower urinary tract symptoms related to estrogen deficiency which affects more than half of postmenopausal women. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of genitourinary syndrome of menopause among postmenopausal women attending a tertiary care center. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of tertiary care hospital from October 2019 to April 2021 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 452 6-11). A convenience sampling method was used among postmenopausal women aged 40-75 years attending gynaecology outpatient departments. The information was obtained by interview and examination. Analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: Among the 385 postmenopausal women, 285 (74.02%) (69.63-78.40 at 95% Confidence Interval) had a diagnosis of genitourinary syndrome of menopause. The mean age of menopause was 48.2±3.6years. The most common symptom and sign were vaginal dryness in 223 (78.2%) and decreased moisture 200 (70.2%). Regarding the impact of genitourinary syndrome of menopause on quality of life, it least affected the activities of daily living and mostly on sexual functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed three-fourth of postmenopausal women suffered from genitourinary syndrome of menopause which is similar to the previous studies done in other countries, in postmenopausal women. Therefore, understanding genitourinary syndrome of menopause is vital, and assuring women those treatments are available to relieve symptoms may improve their quality of life.

Thoraco-omphalopagus conjoined twin: A rare case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Conjoined twins represent a rare phenomenon and the etiology has not been clarified yet. There is a high rate of stillbirth and neonatal deaths resulting in very few cases surviving long enough for surgical separation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old gravida 2 para 1 mother without any first and second trimester antenatal care visits was diagnosed to have conjoined twins in the third trimester. Mother and her family chose to terminate the pregnancy for which elective lower section cesarean section was done with the delivery of female conjoined twins, both of them subsequently declared dead within 4 h of birth. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: A conjoined twin gestation provides inimitable intricacy for obstetric management irrespective of the patient's areas of care. Early diagnosis through ultrasonography can be done and detailed evaluation is necessary along with fetal echocardiography regardless of site of fusion. Cesarean section is the recommended mode of delivery as this reduces various complications. CONCLUSION: The obstetricians' role in timely prenatal diagnosis, counseling, and organization of interdisciplinary medical care is indispensable in cases of conjoined twins.

Pregnancy with heart disease in South Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and outcome.

Background: The prevalence and paradigm of antenatal heart disease are contrasting between high-income, industrialized, and low- and middle-income countries. In this systematic review, we report the prevalence of heart disease and its spectrum in pregnant women of South Asia. Methods: We searched through different electronic databases (PubMed, Google-scholar, Embase, Cochrane Library) to locate relevant articles. Studies with sufficient data that met our inclusion criteria were included. Two reviewers independently screened the articles. Discrepancies were resolved by other reviewers. Subsequently, data extraction was done using a standardized form and quality assessment of studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Meta-analysis was done using R software. Results: After various stages of screening 25 studies were included in the final quantitative synthesis. The pooled prevalence of heart disease among pregnant women was 1.46% (95% CI 0.99-2.01). Among those with heart disease, 70.25% (95% CI 64.87-75.38) had Rheumatic heart disease and 18.10% (95% CI 14.39-22.12) had congenital heart disease. The pooled prevalence of preterm labor and delivery among pregnant women with heart disease was 17.63% (95% CI 12.18-23.80). Similarly, the pooled maternal and fetal mortality rates were 26.14 (95% CI 12.47-43.55) and 50.48 (95% CI 29.59-75.83) per 1000 pregnant women with heart disease respectively. Conclusion: As pregnancy, itself is a prolonged state of physiologic stress, heart disease further adds to the risk both for the mother and fetus. Having such a high prevalence, efforts must be made to detect and closely monitor the condition antenatally, and decisions should be made according to the clinical conditions of the patient.

An Unusual Case of Acute Abdomen: Ovarian Vein Thrombosis.

Ovarian vein thrombosis is one of the rare causes for acute abdomen. Occult presentation of this disease may lead to diagnostic dilemma. A sixteen years female who was operated as a case of ectopic pregnancy was finally diagnosed as having ovarian vein thrombosis. She was successfully treated with anticoagulant.