Review of current concept in the management of pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers are quite distressing, and they cut across all age groups. Aside from increasingmortality, it results in protracted hospital stay and an upsurge in the consumption of healthcare resourcesPressure ulcers are considered to be essentially preventable, but in order to prevent them it is important to identify the people most at risk and deliver timely preventative care. In case of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), as in coronavirus dis­ease 2019 (COVID-19) affected patients, prone position and invasive ventilation improve the clinical status of this group of patients. This form of therapy is associated with an increased risk of facial pressure ulcers. When pressure ulcer occurs, appropriate documentation of each ulcer and staging of the ulcer are essential for good wound assessment.Treatment involves, assessing the nutritional needs of the patient, management of infections, removal of necrotic tissue, maintenance of a moist environment for wound healing, and possibly surgery

A retrospective analysis of eclampsia as a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality in Sagamu

Background: While eclampsia remains a leading cause of maternal death in the developing world, the prevalence and case fatality of the condition in the developed world has reduced due to early detection and prompt treatment. The understanding of the factors associated with eclampsia may reduce the burden and enhance the quality of foeto-maternal outcome.Objective: To determine the prevalence of eclampsia and the associated foeto-maternal outcome. Methods: A retrospective study of patients who presented with eclampsia at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) between January 2008 and December 2012 was carried out. The hospital records were retrieved and the data extracted included the age, parity, gestational age at presentation, booking status, mode of delivery, outcome of baby and mother, and the total delivery in the hospital over the period.Results: The prevalence of eclampsia over the period was 1.1%. Eclampsia was common among women aged 25years and below (64.3%), nulliparous women (78.6%) and unbooked (100.0%). Caesarean section was carried out on 63.0% of the patients on account of unfavourable cervix, while 22.2% of patients had spontaneous vagina delivery. Most (96.4%) received magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) therapy but 22.2% convulsed while receiving it. Maternal mortality was 7.1% while perinatal mortality rate was 250/1000 live birth.Conclusion: Eclampsia remains a cause of maternal morbidity and preventable death in the understudied community. Early antenatal booking and the use of MgSO4 are effective in reducing the burden

Postpartum sexual abstinence and breastfeeding pattern in Sagamu, Nigeria

This was a prospective study involving 371 mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 27.5 (.3.6) years with a mean years at school (Educational years) of 11.3 (2.9) years. All the mothers had previously breastfed at one of their infants for at least 6 months, while the mothers also breastfed their last child for an average (mean) of 10.3 (4.0) months. The overall mean of previous live births was 1.9 (0.8). In the first month postpartum, 84.6% of the mothers abstained from sexual intercourse, but by the 4th-5th month the proportion had dropped to 18.1%, with just 2.1% of the study population abstaining from sexual intercourse at 11-15 months post-partum. Forty seven (13.5%), 30 (8.6% ) and 3 (0.9 % ) mothers in social classes 2,3 and 1 respectively have resumed sexual intercourse at 4-5 months, while only 12(3.4%) and 4(1.1%) in social classes 2 and 3 respectively continued with sexual intercourse at 11-15 months. More mothers resumed sexual intercourse from 1 to 15 months post-partum when they breast fed for 6-10 minutes and 11-15 minutes than those who breast fed for 1-5 minutes, 16-20 minutes and 21-25 minutes. Also more mothers within the 25-29 years age group resumed sexual intercourse from the first month to the fifteenth month post-partum than mothers in the other age groups. (Afr Reprod Health 2008; 12[1]:96-100)