Objectives:To determine the prevalence, risk factors and common bacterial pathogens for surgical site infection (SSI), following cesarean section (CS).Materials and Methods:A retrospective case-control study of patients delivered by CS in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. The cases were the patients whose CS was complicated by SSI; they were matched by other patients delivered by CS who had had no SSI as controls. Hospital records of cases and controls were compared.Results:Four hundred and eighty five hospital records were available for review, 44 (9.1%) had SSI. Statistically significant determinants of infection are: Long duration of labor before CS (P<0.001), Long operation time (P=0.009), heavy intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion (P<0.001). Eleven (25%) of the cases had CS due to obstructed labor compared to 15.3% of controls. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 31.8% of the cases. Cephalosporins and quinolones were the most sensitive antibiotics.Conclusion:The incidence of SSI following CS in our unit was 9.1%. Most cases followed prolonged obstructed labor, with long operation time and heavy blood loss. Staphylococcus aureus sensitive to cephalosporins was the most frequently isolated pathogen. Strategies for preventing prolonged obstructed labor and appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis may prove effective.

Female genital cutting is still practiced in our environment. Educational enlightenment is fundamental in changing public opinion as well as in offering reasonable alternative to FGM. Campaign against the practice of FGM should be encouraged to eradicate its practice.

Background:Induction of labor (IOL) is an artificial initiation of labor before its spontaneous onset for the purpose of delivery of the fetoplacental unit. Many factors are associated with its success in postdatism.Objective:To compare the induction delivery intervals using transcervical Foley catheter plus oxytocin and vaginal misoprostol, and to identify the factors associated with successful induction among postdate singleton multiparae.Materials and Methods:The study was a prospective randomized controlled trial of singleton multiparous pregnant women. They were randomized into two groups, one group for intravaginal misoprostol and the other group for transcervical Foley catheter insertion as a method of cervical ripening and IOL. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17 computer software (SPSS Inc., IL, Chicago, USA). Comparisons of categorical variables were done using Chi-squared test, with P < 0.05 considered as significant. Student's t-test was used for continuous variables.Results:The incidence of postdatism was found to be 136 (13.1%). The mean induction delivery time interval was shorter in the misoprostol group 70 (5.54 ± 1.8 h) than in the Foley catheter oxytocin infusion group 66 (6.65 ± 1.7 h) (P = 0.035). There was, however, no statistically significant difference in the maternal and neonatal outcomes when these two agents were used for cervical ripening and IOL. Higher parity and higher Bishop's score were the factors found to be associated with high success rate of IOL (P < 0.001).Conclusion:Vaginal misoprostol resulted in shorter induction delivery time interval as compared to transcervical Foley catheter. High parity and high Bishop's scores were the factors found to be associated with the success of IOL.