Uterine Rupture: Prevalence and Risk Factors at a Tertiary Institution in Nigeria

Background: Uterine rupture remains a major life threatening obstetric disaster encountered especially in developing countries and is associated with a high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to determine the trend, prevalence rate, associated risk factors and management options of uterine rupture at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of 67 women with uterine rupture managed over a period of 5 years from 1st January, 2016 to 31st December, 2020 at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt. A structured proforma was designed and used to extract data from operating theatre registers and the hospital medical records. Data was entered and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) IBM version 25.0 (Armonk, NY).

Results: During the study period, 7,685 deliveries were conducted in the hospital and 67 were managed for uterine rupture giving a prevalence rate of 0.87% (1 in 115 deliveries). Advancing maternal age, high parity, harmful practices, low socio economic status, unbooked mothers, and previous uterine scars were observed risk factors associated with uterine rupture. Repair only of the uterine rupture was the most common surgical intervention.

Conclusion: The prevalence of uterine rupture was high and most had scarred uterus. There is need for more awareness on the risk factors, signs and symptoms of uterine rupture in order to prevent maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.