Caesarean section performed by medical doctors and associate clinicians in Sierra Leone.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many countries lack sufficient medical doctors to provide safe and affordable surgical and emergency obstetric care. Task-sharing with associate clinicians (ACs) has been suggested to fill this gap. The aim of this study was to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes of caesarean sections performed by ACs and doctors.

Methods

All nine hospitals in Sierra Leone where both ACs and doctors performed caesarean sections were included in this prospective observational multicentre non-inferiority study. Patients undergoing caesarean section were followed for 30 days. The primary outcome was maternal mortality, and secondary outcomes were perinatal events and maternal morbidity.

Results

Between October 2016 and May 2017, 1282 patients were enrolled in the study. In t

SUBMITTER: van Duinen AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6590228 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature