Premium
Mortality in acute gynecology: a developing country perspective
Author(s) -
Rogo K.O.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/0020-7292(89)90821-7
Subject(s) - medicine , parity (physics) , malignancy , obstetrics , family planning , developing country , mortality rate , obstetrics and gynaecology , pregnancy , gynecology , pediatrics , demography , population , surgery , research methodology , environmental health , physics , particle physics , biology , genetics , sociology , economics , economic growth
Over a 20‐month period 109 deaths were recorded in the Acute Gynecology Ward, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi; a rate of 5 deaths per month. Forty‐one percent of the deaths were directly attributable to pregnancy and 46% were due to malignancy (mainly cervical carcinoma). Of the dead, 12.4% were teenagers and 63% below 35 years in age. They were generally of low parity. A tragic picture is presented of death of young women in their prime from almost entirely preventable causes. The need for improved maternal care, including family planning and cytological screening for cervical carcinoma is discussed and emphasized.