Patient characteristics and clinical management of women who died during or after caesarean section in Sierra Leone in 2016
Age | |
Median (IQR), n=99 | 27 (20–32) |
15–19 | 14 (14%) |
20–24 | 24 (24%) |
25–34 | 44 (44%) |
≥35 | 17 (17%) |
Gravidity | |
Median (IQR), n=97 | 3 (1–5) |
1 | 25 (26%) |
2–5 | 56 (58%) |
≥6 | 16 (16%) |
Parity | |
Median (IQR), n=96 | 2 (0–4) |
0 | 25 (26%) |
1–4 | 56 (58%) |
≥5 | 15 (16%) |
Number of antenatal care visits | |
Median (IQR), n=56 | 3 (2–3) |
0 | 6 (11%) |
1 | 4 (7%) |
2–3 | 36 (64%) |
≥4 | 10 (18%) |
Referred from | |
Home | 39 (43%) |
Peripheral health unit | 51 (56%) |
Other hospital | 2 (2%) |
Unknown | 7 (7%) |
Preoperative haemoglobin level | |
Median (IQR), g/L, n=49 | 90 (74–105) |
Indication for caesarean section* | |
Obstructed labour | 42 (42%) |
Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia | 25 (25%) |
Haemorrhage | 22 (22%) |
Placental abruption | 10 (10%) |
Malpresentation | 9 (9%) |
Twins/triplets | 7 (7%) |
Uterine rupture | 7 (7%) |
Previous CS | 6 (6%) |
Type of surgical provider | |
Medical officer | 53 (55%) |
Surgical training programme student | 13 (13%) |
Surgical assistant community health officer | 11 (11%) |
Specialist obstetrician | 8 (8%) |
House officer | 7 (7%) |
Other associate clinician | 5 (5%) |
Unknown | 2 (2%) |
Time from admission to start of operation | |
Median (IQR), hours, n=84 | 5.8 (2.0–21.3) |
Operation length | |
Median (IQR), min, n=67 | 49 (33 – 69) |
Additional procedures registered | |
Hysterectomy | 14 (14%) |
B-Lynch procedure | 3 (3%) |
Blood transfusion | |
Patients transfused (proportion), n=99 | 74 (75%) |
Number of units transfused | |
Median (IQR), n=93 | 1 (1–2) |
Type of anaesthesia | |
General | 72 (75%) |
Spinal | 19 (20%) |
Spinal and general | 5 (5%) |
Unknown | 3 (3%) |
*Multiple indications given for some patients; indications with ≤5 occurrences excluded; percentages may add up to above 100% due to rounding or patients appearing in multiple categories.
CS, caesarean section.