Obstetric fistula continues to be a reproductive health problem among women in low- and middle-income countries. The study aimed to compare the demographics, aetiology, presentation, management of fistula patients seen at two different periods. It was a retrospective comparative cross-sectional study of fistula patients managed in 2015 and 2020 at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki, South-East Nigeria. A total sampling of all the patients who had obstetric fistula repair within the study periods was done. Medical records of the women were obtained. Data was analysed using the SPSS version 21. Numerical variables were compared with the student’s t-test while categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 229 women had repair of obstetric fistula, 143 in 2015 and 86 in 2020. The mean ages of the women treated in 2015 and 2020 were 35.3±10.8 years and 35.0±11.8 years respectively (P=0.333). In 2015, the commonest cause of fistula was prolonged obstructed labour while in 2020, it was Caesarean section (60.3% vs 43.0%, P<0.001). Stillbirth was the commoner (65.4%) fetal outcome in 2015 as against live birth in 2020 (65.4% vs 54.4%, P=0.004). Abdominal approach to repair increased from 4.2% of procedures in 2015 to 11.6% in 2020 (P=0.033). There was no change in the socio-demographic characteristics of the women treated within the two periods. Caesarean section is now the commonest aetiology of obstetric fistula. Most babies now survive the antecedent pregnancy with abdominal repairs now on the increase.
Objectives: Complication of obstetric fistula is the formation of bladder stones which rarely occur in Vagina-Vesico Fistula (VVF) patients. In this study, the metal and organic characterization of bladder stones removed between 2010-2019 from vesicovaginal fistula patients managed at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria were carried out. Methods: The solubility of the bladder stones in different solvents were investigated and metal compositions were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OESS). The qualitative chemical composition was determined following standard procedures while the structural chemical characterization and functional groups were determined using the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results: Distilled water and aqueous solvent chloroform extract of W. lateritia demonstrated significant capacity to dissolve bladder stones in-vitro. Chemical compounds identified include uric acid, oxalate, cysteine, and phosphate from the bladder stones. The metals found in the bladder stones were: Ca, Na, Cu, Zn, Mg, B, Pb, and Al. Trace elements can influence the external morphology of growing crystals and may increase or decrease the speed of the crystallization process. The GC-MS revealed the presence of the following compounds: methyl 2-Hydroxyethyl sulfoxide; methylene chloride; mercaptamine;1,1diethoxy, dichloroactealdehyde; Cyclopentasiloxane; monoammonium salt; di-Allo-Cystathionine; dichloroacetaldehyde; 2-(2Furyl)-2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran; Methenamine; 1,1-Difluoro-1-sila-5-thiacyclooctane; Triacetonetriperoxde; 4-Aminosalicylic acid, 3-Trimethylsilyl (3TMS) derivative;Pentanethiol; and 2,5-Bis-(5-hexyl-[1,3,2]dioxaborinan-2-yloxy)-benzene. FTIR revealed the following: hydroxyl, carboxylic, ester, aromatic, and aliphatic groups, confirming the compounds identified. Conclusion: Metals (Mg, Ca, Pb, etc), organic metabolites (oxalate, cystine, uric acid, phosphate, methenamine, methylene chloride, 4-Aminosalicylic acid, 3-Trimethylsilyl, etc) were found in the bladder stones.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.