ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of nonobstetric genital tract injury (NOGTI) in rural India. METHODS: A prospective observational study of 52 consecutive women admitted with NOGTIs caused by voluntary coitus or accidental injury. Details of the causes of trauma, clinical presentations, and management were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 17 women (32.7%) presented with coital trauma, while 35 women (67.3%) sustained noncoital injuries: bicycle/automobile accidents (10); fall from height (7); cattle horn injury (7); straddle-type trauma (6); leech bites (3); and vaginal foreign bodies (2). Most women had multiple injuries; 15 women developed vulvar hematomas and 3 had anorectal lacerations. Management included immediate resuscitation along with primary repair of injuries, evacuation of vulvar hematomas, and removal of vaginal foreign bodies. Fifteen women (28.8%) required blood transfusions; none of the women died. CONCLUSIONS: Severe hemorrhage caused by NOGTIs is potentially fatal in rural settings if treatment is delayed. Prompt resuscitation, early referral, and appropriate surgical intervention can avert both morbidity and mortality.
