Maternal and fetal prognosis in abruptio placentae at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana

The study provided baseline data of abruptio placentae in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Ghana, and gave recommendations to minimize poor outcomes. A prospective cross sectional study was conducted at the Maternity Department of the KBTH between February 2008 and January 2010. Two hundred women with diagnosis of placental abruption were studied using a pretested standardized structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was used to analyse the data. Fifteen thousand five hundred and ten (15,510) deliveries were recorded during the study period out of which 1.4% abruptio placentae cases were confirmed. The perinatal and maternal mortality rates were 65% and 2% respectively. The key risk factors identified were low socio-economic status, grandmultiparity and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Intrauterine foetal death, (IUFD) and maternal shock were significantly associated with coagulopathy (p=0.001 and 0.004 respectively). Early diagnoses of placental abruption will significantly improve foetal and maternal survival.