Postoperative morbidity following Caesarean delivery

Abstract

The current study was designed to determine the postoperative morbidity associated with Caesarean section and to compare the morbidity with the timing of the operation elective versus emergency Caesarean section, subgroups of women delivered by emergency Caesarean section, women delivered during the first stage of labour versus those delivered during the course of the second stage A retrospective review was conducted of the obstetric case record and the midwifery notes of all women delivered by Caesarean section over a 1‐year period in a university teaching hospital (n= 619) The variables used to measure postoperative morbidity included wound infection, intrauterine infection, urinary tract infection, chest infection, pyrexia, urinary catheterization and postnatal blood transfusion Only 9 5% of the women had no recorded morbidity in the postnatal period Women delivered by emergency Caesarean section experienced a greater number of postnatal problems, an increased incidence of febrile morbidity, more blood transfusions in the postnatal period and a higher proportion had a urinary catheter left in situ after surgery The incidence of wound infection, intrauterine infection and chest infection was higher in the emergency group and this resulted in an increased proportion of the women requiring antibiotic therapy in the postnatal period The study found that there was considerable postoperative morbidity associated with Caesarean delivery, particularly if the operation was carried out as an emergency procedure

Caesarean section surgical site infection surveillance

“…1 For the majority of obstetric patients, it rarely represents a threat to life. However, there are far-reaching morbidity and socio-economic consequences for the patient and the healthcare services, 2e4 with an estimated mean additional cost during the inpatient phase of care of £280 per infection.…”

Incidence and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection Among Patients Undergoing Cesarean Section

“…1 Surgical site infection after cesarean section is associated with increased maternal morbidity, prolonged hospital stay, and increased medical costs. 2 The beneficial effect of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing occurrences of infection associated with elective or emergency cesarean section is already well established.…”

The clinical management of cesarean section-acquired Mycobacterium abscessus surgical site infections

“…SSIs are the second most common infectious complication following urinary tract infections after cesarean delivery, with an infection rate of 6.3% to 11.2% [41][42][43]. The most common pathogens causing delayed SSIs following cesarean delivery are Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis [44].…”