A clinical and epidemiological study on eclampsia in the obstetrics and gynecology department of Catania in the years 1978-1983.

From January 1978 to July 1983 22 patients have recovered from eclampsia in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department - Vitt. Emanuele II Hospital - Catania University. 64% of the patients had hypertension in pregnancy combined with edema in 92.85% of the cases (13 cases) and with proteinuria in 18% of the cases (4 cases). Eclampsia manifested itself before labour in 28.57% (6 cases), during labour in 19.05% (4 cases), in postpartum in 19.05% (4 cases) and in the successive three days after delivery in 33.33% (7 cases). Perinatal death rate was 11.28% and in all the cases it was due to intrauterine fetal death. In 22 patients treated there was a case of acute pulmonary edema and a case of maternal death.

[Socio-psychological aspects of voluntary abortion at the Obstetrical and Gynecological Clinic of Catania]. / Aspetti socio-psicologici dell'aborto volontario nella Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica di Catania.

PIP: At the Obstetrical and Gynecologic Clinic of the University of Catania, Italy, a questionnaire was prepared to be completed by patients seeking abortion. The purpose was to gather some knowledge of the psychosocial factors and attitudes leading to voluntary abortion. The questionnaire, which is included in the document, contains questions about medical history, sexual life, motivation for abortion, psychological reaction, and contraceptive knowledge and usage. Of 595 abortions performed between March and September 1979 only 151 (25.37%) questionnaires were completed. 47.01% of women were between 25-35, 84.10% were married, 70% came from the city of Catania or the neighboring suburbs, 52.31% of women had elementary school education, 45.01% had 1-2 children and 27.14% 2-4 children, 68.62% of women requesting abortion were in the age group 18-25 with 1-2 children, and 68.21% were housewives. Motivation for interruption of pregnancy was high parity (19.20%), too close pregnancies (17.21%), and psychological reasons (9.27%). While most women knew about modern contraceptive methods, only 47.01% used hormonal contraception, 78.14% relied on coitus interruptus, 37.08% on the condom, and 34.43% on periodic abstinence. Last conception was due to contraceptive failure in 53.98% of cases. In 1979 there were a total of 960 legal abortions; only 97 women requested contraception after the abortion, and 13 came back for a repeat intervention. These data clearly demonstrate the lack of correct information on contraception on the part of most women.^ieng