Magnitude of maternal complications and associated obstetric factors among women who gave birth by cesarean section at Arba-Minich General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: Retrospective cohort

Cesarean section is the most common major surgical procedure in obstetrics and gynecology in the world. Though advance in cesarean section technique, it still poses higher maternal morbidity and mortality than vaginal delivery. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of maternal complications (Including the presence of one of the intera-operative surgical complication or postoperative maternal complication; postoperative complication-is defined as the existence of one of the following; febrile morbidity, extended antibiotics treatment, extended hospital stay, wound infection (SSI), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pneumonia, admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU), drop in hemoglobin/hematocrit (HCT/HGB), blood transfusion, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) maternal death in the Hospital) and associated obstetric factors among women who delivered by cesarean section at Arba-Minch General Hospital, Sothern Ethiopia Hospital based retrospective cohort study was conducted among women who delivered by cesarean section from July 8, 2013 to August 6, 2014 at Arba-Minch General Hospital. Demographic data, obstetric factors and occurrence of intra-operative and postoperative maternal complication during their hospital stay were collected using a pre-tested data collection format. SPSS version 20.0 was used for data analysis. A total of 416 mothers’ charts were reviewed. The mean (±SD) age of the mothers was 25.72 (±5.175 years). Emergency cesarean delivery accounted for 87% of all cesarean deliveries. Fetal distress, Cephalo Pelevic Disproportion (CPD), and obstructed labor accounted half of the indications for cesarean sections. Overall maternal complication rate was 38.2%. Living in rural setting (AOR, 1.4,95%CI:1.0,2.3), maternal age ≥ 30 years, (AOR=2.0,95%CI:1.1,3.8 ), presence of obstetric complications, (AOR=2.6,95%CI:1.4,4.7), operation done in second stage of labor, (AOR=2.5,95%CI:1.3,4.6), labor≥25 h (AOR=1.4,95%CI:1.0,2.4)  and general anesthesia (AOR=2.456,95%CI:1.382,4.356)  were found to have significant association with maternal complication. Maternal complication was found to be high. Timely management of labor before a woman develops obstetrics complication and use of appropriate anesthesia will reduce the occurrence of complications.   Key words: Maternal complication, cesarean section (C/S), Ethiopia