Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common postoperative complication worldwide. WHO guidelines to prevent SSI recommend alcoholic chlorhexidine skin preparation and fascial closure using triclosan-coated sutures, but called for assessment of both interventions in low-resource settings. This study aimed to test both interventions in low-income and middle-income countries.Methods FALCON was a 2 × 2 factorial, randomised controlled trial stratified by whether surgery was cleancontaminated, or contaminated or dirty, including patients undergoing abdominal surgery with a skin incision of 5 cm or greater. This trial was undertaken in 54 hospitals in seven countries (

Background: Hyoscine butyl bromide (Buscopan) is being used as an agent for reducing the duration of labour. There are however conflicting results on the effect of this agent on cervical dilation. Materials and Methods: This was an open label clinical trial of one hundred and thirty two (132) pregnant women in labour. Women were grouped to receive either 20 mg of hyoscine butyl bromide intramuscularly at the onset of active phase labour or placebo "Normal saline". The main outcome measure was to compare the duration of first stage labour in the study and control groups as well as feto-maternal outcomes. Relevant data were collected using a proforma. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results: A total of 132 were randomised and 123 yielded for analysis. Of these 59 received hyoscine butyl bromide and 64 received placebo. There was no significant difference in the mean duration of active labour to second stage between the drug and placebo arms (312.5 versus 305.3 minutes, respectively, P = 0.788). The feto-maternal outcomes were similar between both arms. Conclusion: Hyoscine butyl bromide does not shorten the duration of labour in spontaneous labour. It also does not change feto-maternal outcomes.

The role of calcium supplementation in pregnancy to prevent preeclampsia is conflicting. The goal was to determine if there was significant difference between plasma calcium levels in women with preeclampsia and normotensive pregnant women. This was a cross-sectional study of 90 consecutive preeclamptic and 90 normotensive pregnant. Blood samples were taken from them and the plasma isolated from each was analyzed using colorimetric method for calcium and albumin employing calcium kit, albumin kit and spectrum lab 7225 spectrophotometer set (Bran Scientific and Instrument Company, England). The data was analysed using SPSS version 16. Their mean ages were 28.67 ± 5.23 and 28.33 ± 5.06 years respectively (preeclamptic vs. normotensive women respectively; P = 0.688). Majority of them were nullipara (48, 53.3% and 46, 51.1% of preeclamptic and normotensive women respectively). The mean gestational age of the preeclamptic women was 36.38 ± 2.54 weeks while that of the normotensive women was 36.24 ± 2.34 years, (P = 0.715). The plasma calcium level in preeclamptic women was significantly lower than in normotensive pregnant women (2.07 ± 0.318 mmol/L vs.2.41 ± 0.224 mmol/L, P \ 0.001). Preeclamptic women have significantly lower plasma calcium levels than normotensive pregnant women in our community. Routine calcium supplementation for pregnant women at risk of developing preeclampsia is therefore recommended.

There has been a dramatic rise globally in the number of couples at advanced age visiting infertility clinics now than ever before due to an increase in the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART). 1 Female age is one of the most important factors influencing the achievement of pregnancy by ART. 2 As a woman's biological clock ticks, she becomes exposed to a high risk of infertility. 3 Hence, as the age of couples increase, so do the risks of reproductive problems.A woman's fertility peaks at the ages of 22-26 years, substantially decreases after 35 years, and sharply declines after 39 years. 4By the age of 40 years, the success of ART declines sharply. 5,6 This is because in vitro fertilization (IVF) in older women results in decreased numbers of retrieved oocytes, 7 reduced fertilization, 8 and reduced rates of implantation due to chromosomal abnormalities. 9The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities increases with advancing maternal age, from approximately 40% in fertile egg donors aged 21-34 years to 80% in patients aged 41-42 years. [10][11][12] With advances in reproductive medicine and the introduction of new technologies, such as oocyte donation, ovarian rejuvenation