misoprostol and Maternal-Death

Around 303,000 maternal deaths occur every year; most of these are preventable (World Health Organization), ICD-10: International classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th revision. Volume 2: Instruction manual, 2010). Ninety-nine percent of these maternal deaths occur in developing countries. PPH contributed 35 % (35%) of total maternal. Several interventions being done to reduce the number of maternal deaths. It has been noted that a simple low cost intervention of providing misoprostol timely could prevent these deaths.. The objectives of this systematic review was to identify barriers/gaps in the implementation of misoprostol use for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage and management of Post-abortion care services in developing countries.. This study was a systematic review of published qualitative and quantitative literature on misoprostol in developing countries. Documents included were local and international peer reviewed articles and program reports on misoprostol implementation. PubMed, Google Scholars and Science direct databases were used along with Grey literature and manual search using terms "implementation gaps", "misoprostol use", "postpartum hemorrhage", "post-abortion care" and "developing countries".. Gaps or barriers in misoprostol use identified through systematic review can be categorized into six broader thematic areas including: inconsistency in supplies and its distribution; inadequate staffing; lack of knowledge of providers and end users, absence of the registration of drug and fear and apprehensions related to its use at provider and policy level.. It is concluded that barriers and gaps can be addressed through providing enabling environment through supportive policies, designing a formal plan for supplies, task shifting strategies and use of guidelines and protocols for successful implementation.

Topics: Developing Countries; Female; Humans; Maternal Death; Misoprostol; Oxytocics; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy

Prevention of deaths from obstetric haemorrhage requires effective health systems including family planning, commodities, personnel, infrastructure and ultimately universal access to comprehensive obstetric care for women giving birth. The main causes of death associated with antepartum haemorrhage are placental abruption, placenta praevia and uterine rupture. Preventive measures include preconceptual folate supplementation, management of hypertensive disorders, early diagnosis of placenta praevia and use of uterine stimulants cautiously, particularly misoprostol. Preventive measures for post-partum haemorrhage include routine active management of the third stage of labour. Treatment involves a cascade of increasingly invasive interventions in rapid sequence until the bleeding is stopped. These interventions include fluid resuscitation, removal of the placenta, bimanual uterine compression, uterotonics, tranexamic acid, suturing of lower genital tract injury, blood product replacement, balloon tamponade, laparotomy, stepwise uterine devascularization, uterine compression sutures and hysterectomy. Emergency temporizing measures include application of the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment, and at laparotomy, aortic compression and uterine tourniquet application. The effectiveness of treatment methods and the optimal dosage of misoprostol are research priorities. Interesting new approaches include transvaginal uterine artery clamping and suction uterine tamponade.

Topics: Abruptio Placentae; Antifibrinolytic Agents; Blood Transfusion; Cesarean Section; Crystalloid Solutions; Ergonovine; Female; Fluid Therapy; Gravity Suits; Health Facilities; Home Childbirth; Humans; Hysterectomy; Isotonic Solutions; Labor, Induced; Massage; Maternal Death; Misoprostol; Oxytocics; Oxytocin; Placenta Previa; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Pregnancy; Tourniquets; Tranexamic Acid; Uterine Artery Embolization; Uterine Balloon Tamponade; Uterine Hemorrhage; Uterine Rupture

The provision of safe abortion services to women who need them has the potential to drastically reduce or eliminate maternal deaths due to unsafe abortion. The World Health Organization recently updated its evidence-based guidance for safe and effective clinical practices using data from systematic reviews of the literature.. Systematic reviews pertaining to the evidence for safe abortion services, from pre-abortion care, medical and surgical methods of abortion and post-abortion care were evaluated for relevant outcomes, primarily those relating to safety, effectiveness and women's preference.. Sixteen systematic reviews were identified and evaluated. The available evidence does not support the use of pre-abortion ultrasound to increase safety. Routine use of cervical preparation with osmotic dilators, mifepristone or misoprostol after 14 weeks gestation reduces complications; at early gestational ages, surgical abortions have very few complications. Prophylactic antibiotics result in lower rates of post-surgical abortion infection. Pain medication such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories should be offered to women undergoing abortion procedures; acetaminophen, however, is not effective in reducing pain. Women who are eligible should be offered a choice between surgical (vacuum aspiration or dilation and evacuation) and medical methods (mifepristone and misoprostol) of abortion when possible. Modern methods of contraception can be safely initiated immediately following abortion procedures.. Evidence-based guidelines assist health care providers and policymakers to utilize the best data available to provide safe abortion care and prevent the millions of deaths and disabilities that result from unsafe abortion.

Topics: Abortifacient Agents; Abortion, Induced; Analgesia, Obstetrical; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Maternal Death; Mifepristone; Misoprostol; Pregnancy; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Vacuum Curettage; World Health Organization

To describe maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in Kenya by secondary analysis of the Kenya Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (CEMD) database and clinical audit of a sample of those deaths, and to identify the perceived challenges to implementing country-specific PPH guidelines.. A retrospective descriptive study using the Kenyan CEMD database and anonymized maternal death records from 2014-2017. Eight standards from the Kenya National Guidelines for Quality Obstetric and Perinatal Care were selected to perform clinical audit. The process of supporting eight Sub-Saharan African countries to develop country-specific PPH guidelines was described and perceived challenges implementing these were identified.. In total, 725 women died from PPH. Most women attended at least one antenatal care visit (67.2%) and most did not receive iron and folate supplementation (35.7%). Only 39.0% of women received prophylactic uterotonics in the third stage of labor. Factors significantly associated with receiving prophylactic uterotonics were place of delivery (χ. There is a need for improved quality of care for women to minimize the risk of mortality from PPH, by implementing updated clinical guidelines combined with focused health system interventions.

Topics: Data Analysis; Female; Humans; Kenya; Maternal Death; Misoprostol; Oxytocics; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Pregnancy; Retrospective Studies; Tranexamic Acid; World Health Organization

On average 16%-53% of maternal deaths are from postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), with confidence intervals for Eastern Asia reaching beyond 60%. Success in preventing PPH mortality across many large low-resource populations has been fairly limited. Niger's government and an international non-governmental organization (NGO) have developed a model aiming to rapidly reduce primary postpartum haemorrhage mortality, combining relatively new technologies, misoprostol, condom tamponade, and non- inflatable anti-shock garment, with systematic measurement of blood loss and a set of traditional public health tools that constitute the Catalyst Approach to Public Health, with action steps for each phase if haemorrhage occurs. This paper describes each component and testing of the hypothesis that the model can effectively reduce PPH mortality on a national scale. The Niger model is a 'complex intervention' aiming to maximise impact from existing health system resources even in remote areas. The broad applicability of Niger's approach to address a serious global public health problem, and its innovative nature warrant describing the model itself, with results to be published separately. Combining this set of individually proven technologies and a set of organisational tools from disease eradication settings as a single 'complex intervention', has to our knowledge not been described before.

Topics: Female; Health Services; Humans; Maternal Death; Maternal Mortality; Misoprostol; Niger; Oxytocics; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Pregnancy; Public Health

Mozambique has a high maternal mortality ratio, and postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal deaths. In 2015, the Mozambican Ministry of Health (MOH) commenced a program to distribute misoprostol at the community level in selected districts as a strategy to reduce PPH. This case study uses the ExpandNet/World Health Organization (WHO) scale-up framework to examine the planning, management, and outcomes of the early expansion phase of the scale-up of misoprostol for the prevention of PPH in 2 provinces in Mozambique.. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted between February and October 2017 in 5 participating districts in 2 provinces. Participants included program stakeholders, health staff, community health workers (CHWs), and traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Interviews were analyzed using the ExpandNet/WHO framework alongside national policy and planning documents and notes from a 2017 national Ministry of Health maternal, newborn, and child health workshop. Outcomes were estimated using misoprostol coverage and access in 2017 for both provinces.. The study revealed a number of barriers and facilitators to scale-up. Facilitators included a supportive political and legal environment; a clear, credible, and relevant innovation; early expansion into some Ministry of Health systems and a strong network of CHWs and TBAs. Barriers included a reduction in reach due to a shift from universal distribution to application of eligibility criteria; fear of misdirecting misoprostol for abortion or labor induction; limited communication and understanding of the national PPH prevention strategy; inadequate monitoring and evaluation; challenges with logistics systems; and the inability to engage remote TBAs. Lower coverage was found in Inhambane province than Nampula province, possibly due to NGO support and political champions.. This study identified the need for a formal review of the misoprostol program to identify adaptations and to develop a systematic scale-up strategy to guide national scale-up.

Topics: Community Health Workers; Female; Government Agencies; Government Programs; Health Personnel; Health Services Accessibility; Home Childbirth; Humans; Maternal Death; Maternal Health Services; Maternal Mortality; Midwifery; Misoprostol; Mozambique; Oxytocics; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Pregnancy; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Qualitative Research; Stakeholder Participation; Surveys and Questionnaires; World Health Organization

A descriptive study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology and the outcome of uterine rupture at Hajjah Hospital, Yemen, during September 2014-August 2016. There were 110 cases of ruptured uterus and 3457 deliveries (31.8 per 1000 delivery). The majority (82, 74.5%) of these patients were illiterate. One hundred and four (96.3%) of them had no antenatal care. Seventy-eight of these women (70.9%) delivered at home and 32 (29.1%) delivered at hospital. Out of these 110 cases, 74 (67.3%) and 36 (32.7%) had unscarred uterus and scarred uterus, respectively. The causes of ruptured uterus were as follows: obstructed labour 59 (53.6%), previous caesarean delivery 36 (32.7%), use of oxytocin 10 (9.1%) and misoprostol 5 (4.6%). Hysterectomy was carried out in 50 (45.4%) %), repair in 39 (35.4%), repair with tubal ligation in 18 (16.4%) patients and 3 (2.7%) patients died before operation. There was 8 (7.2%) and 101 (91.8%) maternal and perinatal mortality, respectively. Nineteen (17.3%), 6 (5.4%) and 2 (1.8%) women developed sepsis, had urinary bladder injury and developed vesicovaginal fistulae, respectively.

Topics: Adult; Armed Conflicts; Cesarean Section; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Hysterectomy; Maternal Death; Misoprostol; Obstetric Labor Complications; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Prenatal Care; Risk Factors; Sterilization, Tubal; Uterine Rupture; Yemen

While Pakistan has made progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 for maternal health, it is unlikely to achieve the target; further, it is also not on track for Millennium Development Goal 4 regarding child health. Two low-cost, temperature stable and life-saving drugs, misoprostol and chlorhexidine, can respectively avert maternal and newborn deaths, and are particularly pertinent for poor and marginalized areas which bear the brunt of maternal and newborn deaths in Pakistan. In response, Mercy Corps led focused advocacy efforts to promote changes in policies, protocols, and regulatory environments for misoprostol (2012-2014) and for chlorhexidine (2014). These short-duration advocacy projects facilitated significant policy gains, such as inclusion of misoprostol and chlorhexidine into province-specific essential drug lists, development and endorsement of clinical protocols for the two drugs by provincial health departments, inclusion of misoprostol into pre-service training curriculum for several health cadres, and application for registration of chlorhexidine (at the concentration required for newborn care) by two pharmaceutical companies. These results were achieved by a consultative and evidence-based process which generated feedback from community members, program implementers, and policymakers, and ultimately put the government in the driver's seat to facilitate change. Community Action Dialogue forums were linked with provincial-level Technical Working Groups and Provincial Steering Committees, who passed on endorsed recommendations to the Health Secretary. The key factors which facilitated change were the identification of champions within the provincial health departments, prioritization of relationship building and follow-up, focus on concrete advocacy aims rather than broad objectives, and the use of multi-stakeholder forums to secure an enabling environment for the policy changes to take root. While these advocacy initiatives resulted in significant policy changes in Pakistan's devolved health system, to ensure these policy changes have an impact on health outcomes, Pakistan should focus on the scale-up of appropriate use of chlorhexidine and misoprostol. Further, future policy initiatives in Pakistan should make use of similar multi-stakeholder policy forums, while ensuring a third party to facilitate the process so that civil society and community voices are not lost in the policy development discussion.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Child; Child Health; Child, Preschool; Chlorhexidine; Community Participation; Consumer Advocacy; Developing Countries; Health Policy; Humans; Infant Health; Infant, Newborn; Maternal Death; Maternal Health; Maternal-Child Health Services; Misoprostol; Organizations; Oxytocics; Pakistan; Perinatal Death; Socioeconomic Factors