Prevalence of cesarean section and its indications in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Cesarean section is a surgical procedure performed to deliver fetus through abdominal route. Increasing rate of cesarean section worldwide is an alarming concern for public health and obstetricians due to increase in financial burden and risk to health of the mother in comparison to vaginal delivery. The aim of the study was to find the prevalence of cesarean section and its most common indication in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done in a tertiary care hospital, from July 2016 to June 2018 after taking ethical clearance from institutional review board registration number 38970/062/063. Convenience sampling was done. Data was collected and entry was done in microsoft excel, point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Results: Out of total deliveries conducted, 862 (36.8%) were Cesarean section deliveries, 1477 (63.1%) were vaginal deliveries, and 12 (0.51%) were instrumental deliveries. Prevalence of Cesarean section is 862 (36.8%) at 95% Confidence interval (35-39). Mean age±SD of delivering mother was found to be 26.1±0.25 years. Primi cesarean section was more than repeat cesarean section. Most common indication of cesarean section was fetal distress 243 (28%) followed by previous cesarean section 165 (18%), non-progress of labour 106 (12%), oligohydramnios 59 (7%), malpresentation 59 (7%), cephalo pelvic disorders 52 (6.5%) and hypertensive disorder in pregnancy 33 (4%). Conclusions: Prevalence of cesarean section in a tertiary care hospital is high compared to WHO data. The most common indication of cesarean section are fetal distress and previous cesarean section.