EFFECT OF PRE-OPERATIVE SUB-LINGUAL MISOPROSTOL VERSUS INTRAVENOUS OXYTOCIN ON CAESAREAN OPERATION BLOOD LOSS.

BACKGROUND: Caesarean operation remains the most common abdominal surgery in women and has immense benefits to both mother and baby when employed. Haemorrhage, however, remains the greatest challenge associated with its outcome. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of pre-operative sub-lingual misoprostol with intravenous oxytocin administered after delivery of the neonate in minimising blood loss at Caesarean operation. DESIGN: A prospective study. RESULTS: The mean blood loss was significantly lower in misoprostol group compared to oxytocin group (517.32mls versus 621.22mls; p = 0.005). The drop in haematocrit was significantly lower in misoprostol group than the oxytocin group, (400 µg-misoprostol versus oxytocin: 1.88 versus 3.04; p = 0.0001). Side effects of chills, shivering and pyrexia were noted more with the use of misoprostol. CONCLUSION: Pre-operative sub-lingual misoprostol is more effective than intravenous infusion of oxytocin in reducing blood loss at Caesarean section operation. However, occurrence of transient side effects of chills, shivering and pyrexia were noted more with use of misoprostol.

Post-partum mental disorders in Sagamu.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy and labour are sufficiently stressful to precipitate mental disorders in women after delivery. This may arise newly, as a recurrence or an exacerbation of previously existing mental illness in the individual woman. Postpartum mental disorders are under reported in our practices. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of post-partum mental disorders in our practice, pattern of presentation and the commonly associated factors. DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive study. SETTING: Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Nigeria. RESULTS: During the study period there were a total of 9085 deliveries and 27 cases of puerperal mental illness. This gave an incidence of 2.9 per 1000 births. The mean age and mean parity of patients were 27.3 (+/- 7.9 SD) and 2.3 (+/- 1.8 SD) respectively. The mean delivery-presentation interval and mean length of hospitalisation were 11.5 (+/- 7.15 SD) and 12.4 (+/- 5.8) respectively. CONCLUSION: Incidence of post-partum mental illness in our practice is 2.9 per 1000 births. There were preponderance of primiparity and young maternal age in the study group. Family history of psychiatric disorders and marital disharmony appear to play major role in the aetiology of these disorders in our practice.

Complicated induced abortion in Sagamu, Nigeria.

A review of cases of induced abortion managed at Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu from January 1988 to December 1997 is presented. One hundred and two cases were treated for various complaints and complications of induced abortion during the period of review. The mean age in years was 24.6+/-5.8. The groups 20-24 years, 15-19 years and 25-29 years constituted 39.2%, 23.5% and 18.6%, respectively, of the patients. Mean parity was 1.7+/-1.8. Thirty-eight point two per cent, 30.4% and 17.6% were para zero, 2-4 and 1, respectively. Fifty-one per cent of the patients were single. Thirty-four point three per cent, 15.7% and 2.0% of the patients have had one, two and three induced abortions before. Forty-five point one per cent of the patients refused to disclose where and who performed the abortion, while 31.4%, 10.8% and 7.8% of the abortions were carried out by physicians, quacks and nurses. Forty-five point one per cent of the patients procured the abortion at the gestational age of 13-24 weeks, while 26.5% waited for 10 days and over after the abortions before seeking for medical help. Thirty-six point eight per cent and 26.3% of operators in fatal cases were physicians and nurses, respectively. The mean admission interval after abortion for fatal cases was 11.1+/-3.2 days and 4.0+/-3.5 days for other cases that survived and the difference was significant (t=8.0930; P<0.001). Eighty-five point three per cent had never used any form of contraception. Seventy-nine point four per cent, 61.8% and 6.9% of the patients presented with bleeding per vaginam, abdominal pains and fever, respectively. The most common complications were anaemia (56.9%), haemorrhages (46.1%), sepsis (33.3%) and maternal death (18.6%). The maternal mortality ratio was 18 627.5 per 100 000. The difference between maternal mortality ratio due to abortion and the general population (1578.9) was statistically significant (chi(2)=126.4281, P<0.001). Sunction aspiration (76.5%) and exploratory laparatomy (9.8%) were the most common operations performed. The findings in this series further highlight the urgent need to eliminate or reduce substantially the factors responsible for septic induced abortion.