Background: Placenta praevia accounts for significant maternal morbidity and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in blood transfusion technique and surgical procedure, abnormal placentation still remains a difficult challenge for obstetricians. Objective: To determine the influence of booking status on the fetal and maternal outcome among parturients with placenta praevia that underwent caesarian delivery. Methodology: This was a comparative and retrospective study between booked and unbooked subjects with significant placenta praevia that were delivered by caesarian section between January 1 st 2004 and December 31 st 2008 with respect to maternal and fetal outcome. Result: Out of 14,344 deliveries during study period, 123 cases of placenta praevia that underwent caesarian delivery were identified giving a prevalence rate of 0.86%. 49 subjects were booked while 74 were unbooked. There was no statistically significant difference between booked and unbooked cases with respect to risk factors (30.6% of booked and 23% of unbooked), X 2 (4) = 7.203, P = 0.126 and the mean blood loss at surgery (870.4 ± 486.9 ml in booked versus 779.7 ± 380.96 ml in unbooked), X 2 (1) = 0.202, P = 0.653. However, antepartum transfusion (12.2% booked versus 34.7% unbooked) and postpartum transfusion (51% booked versus 72% unbooked) showed statistically significant difference, X 2 (1) = 9.744, P = 0.002. One maternal death occurred amongst the unbooked cases and none among the booked cases. Statistically significant differences were also noted in the apgar score at 1 minute X 2 (3) = 15.528, P = 0.001 and 5 minutes X 2 (3) = 12.912, P = 0.005 respectively. More babies died in the unbooked group (19) compared to two (2) in the booked mothers. Conclusion: Unbooked status in placenta previa significantly increases the risk for antepartum and postpartum transfusion, is associated with higher mortality, increased preterm delivery, poorer apgar scores and higher perinatal mortality rate.
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