THE BURDEN OF POST-CAESAREAN SECTION WOUND COMPLICATIONS IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

Childbirth is a joyful and pleasurable experience for women particularly if the delivery was via the vaginal route. This feeling may be attenuated when delivery is by caesarean section.The situation can be compounded when complications arise most frequently post-operative wound complications. However, there are no studies on the burden of wound complication after caesarean section in our environment. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the burden of wound complications after caesarean section.

The study was a prospective longitudinal study on the outcome of post-caesarean section wounds in a Teaching Hospital in South-East Nigeria. Ethical approval was obtained from the Hospital's Research Ethics Committee while written informed consent was obtained from the patients. The information obtained included the socio-demographic data, and post-operative wound characteristics assessed with a modified ASEPSIS wound score. The cost of treatment was obtained from the hospital bills, and estimates of other related purchases. Data generated was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.

Seventeen percent of women had wound infections. The AEPSIS wound score and grades (outcome) were significantly influenced by the body mass index (BMI). Pre-operative anaemia and intra-operative blood loss had a statistically significant association with wound complications. The outcome significantly affected the period of hospital stay (P = <.001). The mean estimated cost of treatment of patients who had wound infection was 2.37 times that of those without wound infection.

Wound complications were a burden after caesarean section and efforts should be made to control the factors that were responsible.