Background/Objectives: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the most prevalent complication of childbirth and the most preventable cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Maternity nurses and midwives are often the first-line providers responding to PPH. As a result, maternity nurses have the potential to save the lives of women who are clinically deteriorating because of PPH. Simulation-based training is an effective way to develop maternity nurses’ knowledge, skills, and experience to save a woman’s life after PPH. Aim: to investigate the effect of simulation-based training on nurses’ knowledge and performance about primary postpartum hemorrhage management. Design: an experimental design (pre-test/post-test control group). Setting: the study was conducted in the labor and delivery room at KAUH in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sample: A convenient sample of 54 nurses and midwives who were working in the labor and delivery room and the postnatal unit was randomly divided into two equal groups, the control group and study group. Tools: A structured tool was used for data collection and consisted of four parts: I—sociodemographic data, II—assessment of nurse’s/midwives’ knowledge about prevention and management of primary PPH, III—nurse’s/midwives’ performance observational checklist for primary PPH management, and IV—nurse’s/midwife’s satisfaction of the simulation-based training session. Results: The study group had a significantly higher knowledge level immediately after training (X2 = 9.39, p = 0.002) and one month after training (X2 = 5.51, p = 0.02). Regarding the performance level and total practice level immediately after the intervention, the study group had statistically significantly better practices (X2 = 50.143, p = 0.000 *) and this continued one month later (X2 = 50.143, p = 0.000 *). Conclusions: The nurses’ knowledge and performance skills related to primary postpartum hemorrhage care improved after receiving simulation-based training. We recommend that all the maternity nurses and midwives participate in an ongoing in-service simulation training program to enable nurses to demonstrate an active role in PPH prevention and management.
Objectives: were to (a) determine incidence of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in all women delivering between 2009 and 2015, and (b) determine the amount of Estimated Blood Loss (EBL) and duration of the third stage of labor in each subgroup for women with or without PPH, and (c) compare EBL and duration of 3rd stage of labor between subgroups in groups of women with or without PPH. Design: A retrospective chart review conducted using codes for atonic PPH. Setting: Records from a University based tertiary setting, 264 charts were reviewed and data from 154 charts were analyzed. One-way ANOVAs followed with post-hocs and a 2-way ANOVA were conducted. Results: PPH rate increased by 47.50% from 2009–2015. For women with PPH, EBL was lower in skin to skin contact (SSC) + Breastfeeding (BF) subgroup. For women without PPH, EBL was lower in SSC only subgroup. Third stage of labor duration was longer in women with PPH. Conclusions: Study confirmed the increasing trends of PPH due to uterine atony and proposed role of SSC and BF in decreasing EBL and shorten the duration of the 3rd stage of labor for PPH women, usefulness of SSC and BF as physiologic practices merit further study.
(1) Background: Awareness and compliance with standard precautions (SPs) are essential health issues for both healthcare staff and patients. Hence, more research is urgently needed in the health sector worldwide, particularly in Arab countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate compliance with SPs among nurses and doctors, as well as challenges affecting their adherence to these SPs. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. The researchers administered the compliance with the Standard Precautions Scale (CAPS) to staff nurses and doctors from critical care units at a university-affiliated hospital in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A total of 112 nurses and 59 doctors were enrolled in the study to determine their compliance with SPs as well as the challenges affecting their adherence to these SPs. (3) Results: The overall mean percentage scores of nurses’ and doctors’ compliance with SPs were 36.43 ± 15.85% and 33.27 ± 15.76%, respectively. In addition, the current study identified associated challenges affecting these healthcare workers’ adherence to these SPs, including the effect of sociodemographic factors, such as age and experience. (4) Conclusions: The study found that both nurses and doctors had poor compliance with all SPs except for disposal of sharps, which scored with suboptimal compliance. Nurses’ compliance with recommended precautions varied significantly according to age, clinical experience, and attendance at training courses. Healthcare organizations should consider a holistic approach to promote adherence to SPs to enhance outcomes associated with optimized care delivery and stakeholder safety.
Background: The postpartum or puerperium period is the first 6 weeks after giving birth to an infant. The postpartum period can have negative implications, especially in first-time mothers. With their transition into motherhood, new mothers adopt new lifestyles, which can affect their physical wellbeing. Childbirth has physical, psychological, and emotional effects on women as they try to adapt to their new roles in order to get through this period with no or minimal health issues. Study Aim: The current study aims to explore primiparous adaptations with postpartum health issues in Jeddah City at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The research design is quantitative cross-sectional. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data in relation to depression and weight gain, which consider the most common postpartum health issues. The inclusion criteria of the participants are: primipara, 2 to 6 months postpartum, and living in Jeddah. Results: 140 participants were included in the study. Mothers gained approximately 9.2 kg within the fifth to ninth month after giving birth. Discussion: Postpartum weight retention is a primary challenge in the majority of primiparous mothers and results in reduced quality of life. Nurses were always available to answer questions related to the postpartum health issues and explained the expectations to the family members. Conclusions: Childbirth and the postpartum period for first-time mothers are crucial in their lives as they try to adapt to a new way of life. The postpartum period can have negative implications, especially in first-time mothers. With their transition into motherhood, new mothers adopt new lifestyles, which can affect their physical wellbeing. More research is needed to explore the impact of postpartum health issues in Saudi Arabia.
Although the Caesarean section (CS) is considered a harmless surgery, it has various complications. Women scheduled for elective CSs often have high levels of anxiety due to a lack of knowledge. The aim of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to determine the relationship between preoperative educational sessions and anxiety levels among women undergoing CSs. The study was conducted at the antenatal unit in the King Faisal Medical Complex (KFMC) in Taif, Saudi Arabia, using a structured interview questionnaire, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and satisfaction interviews. A total of 50 pregnant women participated in this study, who were divided into two groups: 25 participants in the intervention group and 25 in the control group. Most participants (92%) in the intervention group had low anxiety levels following educational sessions, and 96% of the participants were very satisfied with the preoperative information they had been given. Women in the control group (again, 92%) had high anxiety levels, and there was a significant difference in the anxiety levels of the intervention and control groups (p ≤ 0.5) after the educational sessions. Providing proper preoperative education about CSs can reduce preoperative anxiety, improve patient outcomes, and enhance patients’ involvement in their care and decision-making.
Background: COVID-19 has the potential development of negative maternal outcomes for pregnant women. The risk of contracting COVID-19 is high as pregnancy alters the maternal immune system. Therefore, this study aims to assess maternal outcomes among pregnant women with COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in three hospitals during the pandemic over four months, from the beginning of December 2019 until the end of March 2020. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire filled by the researcher using computers from the medical records of three hospitals. The sampling was all confirmed cases of pregnant women who delivered while being positive for COVID-19. Results: This study has identified a total of 82 pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19 infection over the study period, with ages ranging from 18 to >40 years. The majority of the pregnant women (84.1%) were symptomatic, with fever (48.8%) being the most frequent COVID-19 symptom, followed by cough (42.7%) and shortness of breath (41.5%). Some women (46.3%) had a spontaneous normal vaginal delivery, and 50.2% had a cesarean delivery. The most common adverse pregnancy outcome was premature delivery (36.5%), followed by fetal distress (20.7%), preeclampsia (2.4%), eclampsia (1.2%), and diabetic ketoacidosis (1.2%), as well as the death of three pregnant women. Conclusion: This study found that infected mothers faced various risks of maternal adverse outcomes. The majority of the pregnant women experienced mild to moderate illness symptoms and were delivered within 14 days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Healthcare providers should provide more attention to pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19.
About Me
Ahlam Al-Zahrani is an Associate Professor of Women's Health in the Nursing Faculty, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.
Ahlam Al-Zahrani is an Associate Professor of Women's Health in the Nursing Faculty, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.