Prevalence and indication of cesarean section in Al-Wahda Hospital, Derna, Libya: A retrospective study
Background and Aim: Cesarean section (C-section) is a surgical intervention, which is carried out to ensure the safety of mother and child when vaginal delivery is not possible or when the doctors consider that the danger to mother and baby would be greater with vaginal delivery. The prevalence of cesarean section has been increasing in developed and developing countries. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence and indication of C-section and common indications in Al-Wahda Hospital, Derna, Libya. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of medical notes and records was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Al-Wahda hospital, which is the only teaching and referral hospital in Derna. Initially, the case records of all women who gave birth at the hospital were retrieved from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016. Data were collected by trained data collectors using a standardized paper form and then entered into an electronic database. Results: The overall rate of C-section in Derna city was 23.5%. The age of mothers who give a birth by C-section ranged from 15 to 49 years with mean ± standard deviation of age 31.4 ± 6.06 years. The most common indications were elective repeated caesarean section (23.3%) follow by fetal distress (16.5%) and previous one caesarean section with other cause (11.5%). Conclusions: The overall rate of C-section in Al-Wahda Hospital was 23.5%. This rate is high than the World Health Organization standard.