Maternal mortality at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Southeast Nigeria: a 10-year review (2003-2012).

Background: Maternal mortality is high the world over, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. Nigeria has consistently demonstrated one of the most abysmally poor reproductive health indices in the world, maternal mortality inclusive. This is a sad reminder that, unless things are better organized, Southeast Nigeria, which Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) represents, may not join other parts of the world in attaining Millennium Development Goal 5 to improve maternal health in 2015.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of private medical practitioners towards abortion and post abortion care in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria.

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of private medical practitioners in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria, on abortion and post-abortion care. It was a cross-sectional study of private medical practitioners in the study area using self-administered structured questionnaires. The results showed that 32.

Pain perception among parturients in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria.

In order to evaluate pain perception among parturients in Enugu, South-east Nigeria, a cross-sectional questionnaire study of parturients who delivered vaginally in four health institutions in Enugu from 2 December 2005 to 21 January 2006 was administered. Data analysis was by means of percentages, means +/- SD, correlation coefficients, t-tests, chi2-tests, one-way ANOVA and other inferential statistics using the statistical package SPSS for MS Windows at the 95% confidence level. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 181 were correctly filled and returned for a response rate of 72.

Decision - delivery interval and perinatal outcome in emergency caesarean sections.

Recent studies have cast doubt on the recommended 30-min decision--delivery interval (DDI) in emergency caesarean sections. The practicability, justification, anticipated beneficial effect on neonatal outcome and its medico-legal implications have been questioned. We set out to determine (1) the DDI for emergency caesarean sections in two Nigerian tertiary care centres (2) the effect of DDI on perinatal outcome (particularly if the DDI is longer than the internationally recommended 30 min) and (3) the factors causing delays in intervention if any.