Uterine rupture: UCH, Ibadan experience.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence, predisposing factors, maternal and fetal outcome of uterine rupture patients at the University College Hospital (U. C. H.), Ibadan.

METHODS

A 5-year retropective study of patients with uterine rupture in U. C. H., Ibadan between January 1996 - December, 2000 was done.

RESULTS

Thirty five cases of uterine rupture out of a total delivery of 4531 were recorded over the 5-year period. An incidence of 7.75/1000 deliveries or 0.72% was obtained and the yearly trend showss it's on the increase. 85.7% of the patients were unbooked. Common modes of presentation were bleeding per vaginam and abdominal pain. Spontaneous cause of rupture predominates. The interval between diagnosis and surgery was greater than 7 hours in 75% of cases. Uterine repair with or without tubal ligation was commonly employed. Case fatality rate was high at 17.9%. Perinatal mortality was 92.5%. Other maternal morbidities include anaemia, puerperal and wound sepsis, vesico-vaginal fistula and prolonged hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

All the indice at the present time are higher than they were 10 years ago. The incidence is still high and is on the increase. Attributable reasons include type I, II, III delays in health care service utilization associated with poor socioeconomic status of patients and lack of essential drugs and compatible blood in the hospitals.