Maternal morbidity following emergency caesarean section in asymptomatic HIV-1 infected patients in Mulago Hospital Kampala, Uganda

Summary Sepsis following caesarean section remains an important cause of morbidity in Uganda's Mulago Hospital. This study was designed to assess whether asymptomatic HIV infection could be contributing to this form of morbidity. A total of 500 patients who had undergone emergency CS had their blood tested for HIV-1 on the 1st postoperative day. They were followed-up for wound sepsis, genital tract infection and duration of stay in the hospital after the operation. There were 98 (20.5%) HIV-1 seropositives. The incidence of postoperative wound sepsis (p = 0.948, 95% CI 0.56-1.86), genital tract infection (p = 0.339, 95% CI = 0.74-2.39) and hospital stay > 8 days (p = 0.327, 0.78-2.09) were not statistically significantly different between the cases and controls. Significant predisposing factors to postoperative morbidity were poor general condition on admission, dehydration, preoperative clinical anaemia, and ruptured membranes prior to the operation. Postoperative morbidity following emergency caesarean section was not statistically associated with retrospective asymptomatic HIV-1 infection.