Maternal and perinatal outcomes of oligohydramnios in late term and post term pregnancies at public hospitals in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of oligohydramnios ranges from 12 to 14% after 41 weeks to as high as 30% in post term pregnancies. Oligohydramnios poses a dilemma in the choice of mode of labor and delivery in a setup where there is lack of continuous electronic fetal monitoring during labor. The condition also puts the mother at risks of operative interventions and cesarean delivery. We aimed to asses the maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies with oligohydramnios in late term and post term pregnancy in this study. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers with diagnosis of oligohydramnios after 40+ 6 weeks of gestation at four hospitals at four public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Logistic regression were performed to assess factors associated with the adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. RESULTS: From a total of 142 mothers with oligohydramnios in late term and post tem pregnancies, 40.8% delivered through cesarean section. Spontaneous labor and elective cesarean section were more likely to occurr in parous women (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.06-6.04, p = 0.04), but with less likely in those with secondary level education (AOR 0.13, 95% CI 0.02-0.74, p = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in adverse outcomes between those who had induction of labor and those who had either spontaneous labor or had elective cesarean section. CONCLUSIONS: The adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in late term and post term pregnancies with oligohydramnios may not be different among different modes of delivery. Induction of labor can be safe in these particular group of women with intermittent auscultation with fetoscope in a setup where continuous electronic fetal monitoring is not readily available.

A Perioperative Quality Improvement Program for Cesarean Delivery in Ethiopia: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Infections and complications following cesarean delivery are a significant source of maternal mortality in Ethiopia. Objective: To study the effectiveness of a program to strengthen compliance with perioperative standards and reduce postoperative complications following cesarean delivery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial included patients undergoing cesarean delivery from August 24, 2021, to January 31, 2023, at 9 hospitals organized into 5 clusters in Ethiopia. Intervention: Clean Cut, a multimodal surgical quality improvement program that includes process-mapping 6 perioperative standards and creating site-specific, systems-level improvements. The control period was the period before implementation of the intervention. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was surgical site infection rate, and secondary end points were maternal mortality and perinatal mortality and a composite outcome of infections and both mortality outcomes. All were assessed at 30 days postoperatively in the intervention and control groups, adjusting for clustering and demographics. Compliance with standards and the relationship between compliance and outcomes were also compared between the 2 arms. Results: Among 9755 women undergoing cesarean delivery, 5099 deliveries (52.3%) occurred during the control period (2722 emergency cases [53.4%]) and 4656 (47.7%) during the intervention period (2346 emergency cases [50.4%]). Mean (SD) patient age was 27.04 (0.05) years. Thirty-day follow-up was completed for 5153 patients (52.8%). No significant reduction in infection rates was detected after the intervention (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.55-1.27; P = .40). Intraoperative infection prevention standards improved significantly in the intervention arm vs control arm for compliance with at least 5 of the 6 standards (odds ratio [OR], 2.95; 95% CI, 2.40-3.62; P < .001). Regardless of trial arm, high compliance was associated with reduced odds of maternal (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.11-0.93; P = .04) and perinatal (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.47-0.89; P = .008) mortality. Conclusions and Relevance: In this stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial of patients undergoing cesarean delivery, no significant reductions in surgical site infections were observed. However, compliance with perioperative standards improved following the intervention. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04812522; Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: PACTR202108717887402.

Evaluation of an adaptive, multimodal intervention to reduce postoperative infections following cesarean delivery in Ethiopia: study protocol of the CLEAN-CS cluster-randomized stepped wedge interventional trial.

BACKGROUND: We previously developed and pilot tested Clean Cut, a program to prevent postoperative infections by improving compliance with the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) and strengthening adherence to infection control practices. This protocol describes the CheckList Expansion for Antisepsis and iNfection Control in Cesarean Section (CLEAN-CS) trial evaluating our program's ability to reduce infections following CS and other obstetric and gynecological operations in Ethiopia. METHODS/DESIGN: CLEAN-CS is a cluster-randomized stepped wedge interventional trial with five clusters (two hospitals per cluster). It aims to assess the impact of Clean Cut on six critical perioperative infection prevention standards including antiseptic practices, antibiotic administration, and routine SCC use. The trial involves baseline data collection followed by Clean Cut training and implementation in each cluster in randomized order. The intervention consists of (1) modifying and implementing the SSC to fit local practices, (2) process mapping each standard, (3) coupling data and processes with site-specific action plans for improvement, and (4) targeted training focused on process gaps. The primary outcome is 30-day CS infection rates; secondary outcomes include other patient-level complications and compliance with standards. Assuming baseline SSI incidence of 12%, an effect size of 25% absolute reduction, and the ability to recruit 80-90 patients per cluster per month, we require a sample of 8100 patients for significance. We will report our study according to CONSORT. DISCUSSION: A cluster-randomized stepped wedge design is well-suited for evaluating this type of surgical safety program. The targeted standards are not in doubt, yet compliance is frequently difficult. Solutions are available and may be recognized by individuals, but teams dedicated to improvement are often lacking. Clean Cut was successfully piloted but requires a more rigorous methodological assessment. We seek to understand the qualities, characteristics, and resources needed to implement the program, the magnitude of effect on processes and outcomes, and to what degree it can enhance compliance with care standards. Challenges include a fraught social and political environment, pandemic travel restrictions, and a limited budget. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04812522 (registered on March 23, 2021); Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR202108717887402 (registered on August 24, 2021).

Maternal Death Review at a Tertiary Hospital in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: There is conflicting data on the rate and trends of maternal mortality in Ethiopia. There is no previous study done on the magnitude and trends of maternal death at Saint Paul's Hospital, an institution providing the largest labor and delivery services in Ethiopia. The objective of this study is to determine the magnitude, causes and contributing factors for maternal deaths in the institution. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of maternal deaths from January 2016 to December 2017. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: The maternal mortality ratio of the institution was 228.3 per 100,000 live births. Direct maternal death accounted for 90% (n=36) of the deceased. The leading causes of the direct maternal deaths were hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (n=13, 32.5%), postpartum hemorrhage (n=10, 25%), sepsis (n=4, 10%), pulmonary thromboembolism (n=3, 7.5%) and amniotic fluid embolism (n=3, 7.5%). CONCLUSION: The maternal mortality ratio was lower than the ratios reported from other institutions in Ethiopia. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and malaria were the leading cause of direct and indirect causes of maternal deaths respectively. Embolism has become one of the top causes of maternal death in a rate like the developed nations. This might show the double burden of embolism and other causes of maternal mortality that developing countries might be facing.

Successful dilation and evacuation for second trimester conjoined twin: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Conjoined twins are a rare clinical event occurring in about 1 per 250,000 live births. Though the prognosis of conjoined twins is generally low, there is limited evidence as to the optimal method of pregnancy termination, particularly in cases of advanced gestational age. We report a successful dilation and evacuation (D&E) done for conjoined twins at 22 weeks of gestation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old primigravid woman was diagnosed with a conjoined, thoraco-omphalopagus twin pregnancy after undergoing a detailed two-dimensional (2D) fetal ultrasound anatomic scanning. Assessment and counseling were done by a multidisciplinary team. The team discussed the prognosis and options of management with the patient. The patient opted for termination of pregnancy. Different options of termination were discussed and the patient consented for D&E, with the possibility of reverting to hysterotomy in case intraoperative difficulty was encountered. A 2-day cervical preparation followed by D&E was done under spinal anesthesia and ultrasound guidance. CONCLUSION: In this patient, D&E was done successfully without complications. Adequate cervical preparation, pain control, and ultrasound guidance during the procedure are critical for optimal outcomes. A literature review of methods of pregnancy termination for conjoined twins in the second trimester revealed 75% delivered vaginally through medical induction while 18% underwent cesarean section. Only one other report described successful D&E for conjoined twins after 20 weeks. D&E can be safely performed for carefully selected cases of conjoined twins beyond 20 weeks' gestations avoiding the need for induction or hysterotomy.