Breakdown of simple female genital fistula repair after 7 day versus 14 day postoperative bladder catheterisation: a randomised, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Duration of bladder catheterisation after female genital fistula repair varies widely. We aimed to establish whether 7 day bladder catheterisation was non-inferior to 14 days in terms of incidence of fistula repair breakdown in women with simple fistula.

Methods: In this randomised, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial, we enrolled patients at eight hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

Good clinical outcomes from a 7-year holistic programme of fistula repair in Guinea.

Objectives: Female genital fistula remains a public health concern in developing countries. From January 2007 to September 2013, the Fistula Care project, managed by EngenderHealth in partnership with the Ministry of Health and supported by USAID, integrated fistula repair services in the maternity wards of general hospitals in Guinea. The objective of this article was to present and discuss the clinical outcomes of 7 years of work involving 2116 women repaired in three hospitals across the country.

Clinical procedures and practices used in the perioperative treatment of female genital fistula during a prospective cohort study.

Background: Treatment and care for female genital fistula have become increasingly available over the last decade in countries across Africa and South Asia. Before the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and partners published a global fistula training manual in 2011 there was no internationally recognized, standardized training curriculum, including perioperative care. The community of fistula care practitioners and advocates lacks data about the prevalence of various perioperative clinical procedures and practices and their potential programmatic implications are lacking.

Mortality risk associated with surgical treatment of female genital fistula.

Objective: To describe the mortality risk associated with surgical treatment of female genital fistula and the contributory and contextual factors.

Methods: In a descriptive study, confidential inquiries and clinical audits were conducted at 14 fistula repair sites in seven resource-poor countries between January 2005 and March 2013. Data collection included interviews with key personnel involved in the clinical management of the deceased, and a review of hospital records and patient files following an audit protocol.

Assessing the quality of record keeping for cesarean deliveries: results from a multicenter retrospective record review in five low-income countries.

Background: Reliable, timely information is the foundation of decision making for functioning health systems; the quality of decision making rests on quality data. Routine monitoring, reporting, and review of cesarean section (CS) indications, decision-to-delivery intervals, and partograph use are important elements of quality improvement for maternity services.

Methods: In 2009 and 2010, a sample of CS records from calendar year 2008 was reviewed at nine facilities in Bangladesh, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Uganda.