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John Okafor Egede,1 Robinson Chukwudi Onoh,1 Odidika Ugochukwu Joannes Umeora,1 Chukwuemeka Anthony Iyoke,2 Ikechukwu Benedict Okechukwu Dimejesi,1 Lucky Osaheni Lawani1 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria Background: Rates of fertility, population growth, and maternal deaths in Nigeria are among the highest in the world, with an estimated 4% of all births being unwanted and 7% mistimed. These are caused mainly by nonuse, inappropriate choice, and difficulty in accessing contraceptive commodities. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors influencing the choice and sources of contraceptive options among market women in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.Methods: This was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study involving 330 market women of reproductive age in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A survey was carried out to identify their knowledge, use, and sources of contraception and the factors that influence their contraceptive practices.Results: Knowledge of contraception was high (275 [83.3%]), and 229 (69.4%) of the study population approved of contraceptive use. However, only 93 (28.3%) of the respondents were currently using any form of contraception. Fifty-four women (16.3%) were using modern methods. The commonly used forms of modern contraception were the barrier method (male condoms, 27 [8.2%]), the oral contraceptive pill (10 [3.0%]), injectables (8 [2.5%]), and the intrauterine contraceptive device (7 [2.0%]). The most common source of contraceptive products was patent medicine dealers (58 [51%]). The main barriers to use of contraception were desire for more children (86 [26.1%]), religious prohibition (62 [18.8%]), spousal disapproval (32 [9.7%]), and the perceived side effects of modern contraceptives (25 [7.6%]). There was a significant association for approval of contraception when the model was adjusted for religion (odds ratio [OR] 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18–0.84; P=0.02); educational status (OR 2.84, 95% CI 0.96–8.40; P=0.04); parity (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.09–2.85; P=0.03); and social class (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.26–5.11; P=0.01).Conclusion: There is good knowledge about contraception among Nigerian women, but use of these products is low. The main barriers to use of contraception are the desire for more children, religious prohibition, and spousal disapproval. Keywords: barrier method, contraceptive methods, market women, Nigeria, prevalence

Background: Myomectomy can be associated with life-threatening conditions such as bleeding. Excessive bleeding usually necessitates blood transfusion. Interventions to reduce bleeding during myomectomy will help reduce the need for blood transfusion with its associated complications. Tranexamic acid has been used to reduce bleeding in other surgical procedures, and its usage during myomectomy merits evaluation., Objective: To assess the efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing myomectomy-associated blood loss., Materials and Methods: This is a prospective double-blinded randomized trial conducted on women who had abdominal myomectomy. Patients were randomized into two groups. The study group received perioperative intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA) while the control group received a placebo. Intraoperative blood loss was calculated by measuring the volume in the suction apparatus and weighing the surgical swabs. In addition, blood collected postoperatively from the wound drains and drapes were measured. Haemoglobin concentrations were determined preoperatively and on second postoperative day for all cases. Any adverse effect was noted in both groups. The data was processed using Epi Info software (7.2.1, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia). The relationships between categorical data were analyzed using X 2 and Student's t -test to determine relationships between continuous variables, with a P value of 0.05 considered statistically significant, and correlation coefficients were calculated using Pearson's formula, and probability of 0.05 was set for statistical significance., Results: Symptomatic uterine myomas constituted 17.3% of all gynaecological admissions and 21.3% of gynaecological operations at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki. The mean intraoperative blood loss among patients that had perioperative tranexamic acid infusion was 413.6 ± 165.6 ml, while that of patients with placebo infusion was 713.6 ± 236.3 ml. Perioperative tranexamic acid infusion therefore reduced mean intraoperative blood loss by 300 ml, and this was statistically significant (SMD = -0.212, 95% CI: -403.932 to -196.067, P < 0.0001). Perioperative tranexamic acid reduced mean total blood loss by a value of 532.3 ml, and this is statistically significant (SMD = 30.622, 95% CI: 393.308 to 670.624, P < 0.0001). Tranexamic acid also improved postoperative haemoglobin concentration by 1.8 g/dl compared with placebo, and this is statistically significant (SMD = -0.122, 95% CI: 1.182 to 2.473, P < 0.0001). Tranexamic acid infusion decreased hospital stay by about 2 days, and this difference was statistically significant (SMD = -3.929, 95% CI: -3.018 to -0.983, P = 0.0003). There was no adverse drug reaction in the course of the study., Conclusion: The use of tranexamic acid during myomectomy reduced intraoperative and postoperative blood loss. It is also associated with decreased hospital stay. This trial is registered with NCT04560465., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ayodele Adegbite Olaleye et al.)

Objective: To determine and compare the mean maternal serum leptin levels, the prevalence of high serum leptin levels and mean gestational weight gain at term among obese and non-obese pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria., Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study enrolled obese and non-obese pregnant women. The serum leptin levels of the women were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Anthropometric and sociodemographic data were obtained and compared. Mean weight gain during pregnancy was determined., Results: A total of 170 pregnant women were included in the study. The mean ± SD serum leptin level (99.39 ± 50.2 ng/ml) and the prevalence of hyperleptinaemia (81 of 85 patients; 95.3%) among the obese pregnant women at term were significantly higher than those of the non-obese pregnant women (48.98 ± 30.35 ng/ml/65 of 85 patients; 76.5%). The mean percentage weight gain was significantly higher in the non-obese women compared with the obese women at term. The predictors of high maternal serum leptin level at term among the participants were the employment status and levels of education of the participants., Conclusion: Maternal serum leptin level, maternal weight gain and prevalence of hyperleptinaemia at term were significantly higher in the obese compared with the non-obese pregnant women., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Post-caesarean maternal infectious morbidity is still a big challenge despite prophylactic antibiotics use and other modalities adopted to prevent it. Pre-operative or post-operative vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine may have effect on post-caesarean maternal infectious morbidity., Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of pre-operative vs. post-operative vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine in reducing post-caesarean maternal infectious morbidities in a teaching hospital, South East Nigeria., Materials and Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial involving 244 pregnant women who underwent elective or emergency lower segment caesarean section at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria. Recruited patients were randomized into two groups: Group 1 had pre-operative vaginal cleansing with 5% povidone-iodine, whereas group 2 had post-operative vaginal cleansing with 5% povidone-iodine. Post-operatively, patients were monitored for clinical symptoms and signs of endometritis, wound infection, and pyrexia daily till discharge and at 2 weeks post-partum visit. Both groups received same post-operative care., Data Analysis: Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) software (version 20, Chicago, IL, USA). Continuous variables were presented as mean and standard deviation (mean ± 2SD), whereas categorical variables were presented as numbers, frequencies, and percentages. The t -test was used for comparison between groups for quantitative variables, whereas the χ 2 test was used to compare categorical variables. Relative risk and 95% confidence interval were calculated for outcome measures. P -value<0.05 was considered significant., Results: The overall infectious morbidity rate was 14.3% (34/239) in all the study participants. The rate was 1.7% (4/239) among women in the pre-operative vaginal cleansing group and 12.6% (30/239) among women in the post-operative vaginal cleansing group. This was statistically significant [( P < 0.05); relative risk (RR) 0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05-0.36]. Endometritis occurred in 13/239 (5.4%) women with 0.8% in the pre-operative group and 4.6% in the post-operative vaginal cleansing group. This was also statistically significant ( P = 0.009; RR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04-0.78). Wound infection occurred in 11/239 (4.6%) women with 0.8% in the pre-operative group and 3.8% in the post-operative vaginal cleansing group ( P = 0.032; RR 0.22, 95% CI 0.05-0.98). Pyrexia occurred in 10/239 (4.2%) women with 0 (0%) in the pre-operative group and 4.2% in the post-operative vaginal cleansing group. This was also statistically significant ( P = 0.0007; RR 0.01, 95% CI 0.007-0.16). These were commoners among women with ruptured foetal membranes ( P =0.001; RR 0.22, CI 0.08-0.61) and those who had emergency caesarean delivery ( P =0.0001; RR 0.14, CI 0.05-0.37)., Conclusion: Pre-operative vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine is more effective in the reduction of composite post-caesarean maternal infectious morbidity compared with immediate post-operative vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine, especially in women with ruptured foetal membranes and those who had emergency caesarean section., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of the West African College of Surgeons.)

Background: In recent times, it has become a common practice to discharge a woman early after an uncomplicated caesarean section (CS), to satisfy their wishes, reduce cost, and maximize efficient use of healthcare system resources., Objective: To conduct a comparative analysis of maternal and neonatal outcomes following day two hospital discharge versus day 5 or 7 discharge after an uncomplicated CS., Materials and Methods: Eligible parturient (228) who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups between 1 st October 2018 and 30 th September 2019 in two different maternity centers in Ebonyi state. The study group (114) was discharged two days after an uncomplicated CS while the control group (114) was discharged on the 5 th or 7 th postoperative day. Their satisfaction, cost, morbidities, and breastfeeding practices were evaluated using a pretested questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22., Results: Day 2 discharge was not associated with a higher rate of readmission as compared with day 5-7 discharge ( χ 2 = 0.95, P = 0.329). There were no statistically significant differences in cost incurred by patients discharged on day 2 after uncomplicated CS compared to the control group ( χ 2 = 1.65, P = 0.649). Maternal satisfaction was high following day 2 discharge compared with day 5-7 discharge ( χ 2 = 16.64, P = 0.0001, OR = 0.857, 95%CI = 0.59-1.25). The majority of mothers (79.6%) discharged on day 2 were able to initiate and sustain breastfeeding with no statistically significant difference in the initiation and sustenance of breastfeeding with those discharged on days 5-7 ( χ 2 = 4.45, P = 0.108). Early hospital discharge did not have any significant negative impact on neonatal health ( χ 2 = 1.063, P = 0.303)., Conclusion: Early discharge of patients after an uncomplicated CS is not associated with increased rate of readmission. It is associated with good maternal satisfaction, adequate initiation and sustenance of breastfeeding, and good neonatal wellbeing. We advocate early discharge of women following uncomplicated CS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Fidelis A. Onu et al.)

Objective: To explore maternal experience following caesarean section., Methods: The study was a cross-sectional prospective study involving 250 women., Results: The mean age of the study population was 27.2 ± 5.5 years with fifty-three per cent (53.1%) of the women between the ages of 20-9 years. Majority of the participants (67.1%) were multiparous and 37.4% of the parturient had secondary school education. The majority (67.1%) were in social class 3-5. Emergency caesarean section accounted for 74.5% of the caesarean section and the commonest indication was foetal distress. One hundred and forty-four participants (59.3%) were satisfied with their caesarean section experience which was significantly associated with health care attention and foetal outcome. More than half of the study population would not accept caesarean section when indicated in a future pregnancy. The health care attention [AOR 0.53, 95% CI (0.32, 0.88)] and maternal age [AOR 3.05, 95%CI (1.43, 6.49)] were significant predictors., Conclusion: Majority of the women were satisfied with their caesarean section experience which is influenced by the hospital care and foetal outcome. Improvement in maternal caesarean section experience through quality health care is important in increasing uptake when indicated., (© 2019 Anikwe et al.)

Ancylostoma duodenale , Necator americanus , Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura , the four major Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and also Strongyloides stercoralis infect humans worldwide. Most studies on Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) carried out in Ibadan were faecal examination based while relatively few soil examination based studies were carried out mostly around school premises using limited number of sampling locations. This study was therefore designed to assess the level of soil contamination with STH and associated risk factors in the eleven local government areas of Ibadan. A total of 1980 soil samples were purposively collected monthly, between January and December 2017, from toilet areas, refuse dump sites, house vicinities, playgrounds, roadsides/walk ways, and examined for the presence of parasite eggs or larvae using automated analysis of light microscopy images by computer. Well-structured questionnaires were administered to 620 consenting participants to obtain information on the Knowledge of STH infections, Attitudes and Practices towards the infections. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21, Chi-square and ANOVA were used in the analysis at p  < 0.05. Out of soil samples examined, 1087 (54.9%) had at least one species of parasite. The prevalence of hookworm was 74.5% followed by 50.2% and 37.2% for Strongyloides species larvae and adult respectively, and 25.1% for Ascaris species. The highest prevalence was observed in the refuse dump (74.2%) followed by toilet area (36.5%) while the lowest was at house vicinities (1.6%). Fifty-seven percent of the respondents use pit latrine while 20.6% still practice open defecation. A high transmission risk was observed as large percentage (66.8%) of the respondents showed inadequate knowledge of how to avoid STH infections. Moreover, 64.0% and 25.2% reported that they often walk barefooted and suck fingers respectively. The high prevalence of parasitic contamination of soil observed in the present study and the high proportion of respondent with inadequate knowledge of how to prevent transmission of STH pose a high risk of re-infections in the study area even after treatment. Therefore there is a need for proper education on parasite transmission in the area.

Introduction: Postoperative pain is one of the main postoperative adverse outcomes following caesarean section. Its management still remains a challenge especially in a low resource setting., Aim: To compare the efficacy of intramuscular pentazocine alone and combined intramuscular pentazocine with diclofenac for pain relief within 24 hours after caesarean section., Materials and Methods: This was a double blind randomized control study of post caesarean section pain management of 140 participants between April and December, 2015 at the Federal Teaching hospital, Abakaliki. Inclusion criteria involved consenting and low risk parturients who had caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. The participants were randomly grouped into Pentazocine-Placebo (PP) group and Pentazocine-Diclofenac (PD) group. The PP group received pentazocine 30 mg every 4 hours for 24 hours and 3 milliliters of water for injection as placebo 12 hourly for 24 hours while the PD group received pentazocine 30 mg every 4 hours and diclofenac 75 mg every 12 hours for 24 hours. The level of pain control was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The data was analysed with IBM SPSS version 20.0. The level of significance was set at < 0.05., Results: The use of PD for 24 hour post caesarean section analgesia achieved better pain relief, faster onset of postoperative ambulation, bowel sound auscultation and oral feeding than the use of PP (p-value ≤0.002). However, the use of PD is more expensive than PP (p-value =0.0001). There was no difference between the two groups of participants on the passage of flatus and duration of hospital stay (p-value≥0.05). The use of PP was associated with more maternal side effects (p-value=0.009). There was no difference on the level of satisfaction between the two groups of participants (p-value≥0.05)., Conclusion: The use of PD for post caesarean section analgesia is more effective in achieving a satisfactory pain relief and has less side effects.