Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Management of anaemia in pregnancy: experience from a Sri Lankan tertiary hospital unit(Wiley-Blackwell, 2015) Palihawadana, T.; Dias, T.; Motha, C.; Thulya, S.D.; Herath, R.; Wijesinghe, P.S.INTRODUCTION: Higher rates of pregnancy complications have been reported among anaemic pregnant women. Universal iron supplementation during pregnancy is recommended in countries where iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) prevalence rates are high. Sri Lanka also carries out a policy of such supplementation. The effectiveness of such programmes in different settings is variable. A retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of our current policy on prevention and treatment of anaemia was done for programme evaluation. METHODS: The North Colombo Obstetric Database (NORCOD) was used retrospectively to analyse the data between March and August 2014, at the university obstetric unit of the North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka. All singleton pregnancies without medical comorbidities were included in the analysis. Those who did not have haemoglobin (Hb) recording in the first trimester or in the third trimester were excluded at the data cleaning stage. An Hb level of <11 g/dL and a level of <10.5 g/dL were considered as anaemia in first and third trimesters respectively. The prevalence of anaemia at booking, and the Hb status in the third trimester were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 1340 singleton pregnancies were included in the analysis and 74 were excluded from the analysis due to incomplete data. 28.9% (n = 366) were found to be anaemic at booking while 63.9% (n = 809) were with a normal Hb and 7.1% (n = 91) were with an Hb of >13 g/dL. In the third trimester the prevalence of anaemia was 11.5% (n = 146) while 64.7% (n = 820) were with normal Hb and 23.6% (n = 300) were with an Hb of >13 g/dL. Among the anaemic women at booking, 22% (n = 81) persisted to be anaemic in the third trimester while 65% (n = 238) became normal and 12.8% (n = 47) developed a higher Hb level. Among those with a high Hb at booking only 1% became anaemic by third trimester while 40.6% persisted to have a high Hb level. CONCLUSION The prevalence of anaemia in this population was of moderate severity (>20% but <40%) as defined by the WHO. Major shortcoming in our practice is that we were unable to successfully treat nearly quarter of women who present with anaemia at booking, thus highlighting sub-optimal treatment. Furthermore, a policy of universal supplementation seems to over treat women with a high Hb at booking. Therefore, a more individualised supplementation and treatment policy should be encouraged in routine clinical practice.Item An audit on perineal pain felt following childbirth: level of pain experienced and degree of analgesia used(Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, 2016) Jayawardena, G.R.M.U.G.P.; Gunarathna, S.M.S.G.; Jogarasah, K.; Herath, R.BACKGROUND: Perineal pain is a common symptom following vaginal childbirth. Reducing of the degree of pain experienced has been shown to improve maternal wellbeing and normal functioning within the family. METHODS: We performed the audit in the professorial ward of the Colombo North Teaching Hospital. Participants perception of pain was assessed using a verbal numeric rating scale. RESULT: All participants had experienced some degree of perineal pain. However significantly reduced levels of pain were experienced in those who had received analgesia. CONCLUSION: Perineal pain is a common symptom among women following childbirth. However such pain can be significantly reduced with appropriate interventionsItem An audit on the completeness of partogramsin two obstetric units in two separate teaching hospitals in Sri Lanka(Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, 2016) Liyanapatabandi, D.; Bhabu, B.; Krishoban, B.; Wenurajith, B. K.; Karunasinghe, J.; Jayasinghe, K. S.; Jayawardena, G.R.M.U.G.P.; Herath, R.; Gunarathna, S.M.S.G.INTRODUCTION: A systematic approach to labour is needed to make sure serious mistakes and variations are not made in management and cost effectiveness maintained. . We undertook an audit in two separate teaching hospital settings to assess thecompleteness of partogram maintenance in labour. METHODS: Retrospective analyses of partograms were done in non consecutive bed head tickets from January to April 2016. The research was conducted at Obstetric wards in the Colombo North Teaching Hospital and Colombo South Teaching Hospital. Annonymised data were entered into a database.RESULTS: A total of 72 and 81 bed head tickets were analysed in the two wards postnatal sections respectively. The completed partogram was available in 48 (66.7%) and 59 (72.8%) respectively with completeness of personal data as follows; name (100%, 97.5%), age (100%, 98.8%) parity (100%, 91.7%), bed head ticket (100%, 100%) and blood group (91.6%, 96.3%). Interpartum labour monitoring was documented as follows; fetal heart sounds (100%, 70.4%), contraction (37.5%, 43.2%), dilation (54.1%, 35.8%), alert and action lines (50%, 42%), descent (12.5%, 14.8%), liquor (50%, 66.7%), position (8.3%, 12.3%), caput (12.5%, 8.6%), and molding (8.3%, 4.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Both maternal and labour parameters show high levels of incompleteness which destroys the true use of a partogram which is early identification and prompt intervention in the instance of maternal or labour complications.Item Term versus preterm induction of labor: Does it change the outcome?(Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, 2016) Dias, T.; Gunasena, J.; Herath, R.; Pieris, V.; Wijesinghe, P.ABSTRACT: Induction of labour is important to timely deliver the fetus and minimize adverse perinatal outcomes to both the mother and the neonate. Therefore, comparison of the outcomes following induction of labour at term and preterm is invaluable to assess its benefits and detriments. OBJECTIVE: Compare fetal and labour outcomes following induction of preterm and term singleton pregnancies. METHOD:This was a retrospective studycarried out at North Colombo Teaching Hospital using North Colombo Obstetric Database (NORCOD) between March 2014 and May 2016. Six hundred and one singleton pregnancies that underwent induction of labour were included. Timing of induction of labor was categorized intopreterm labor induction (<38 weeks) and term labour induction (38-42 weeks). Vaginal delivery rate and neonatal outcomes were compared.RESULTS: Out of 601 cases 18.5% (N=111) were induced preterm and 81.5% (N=490) were induced at term. Vaginal delivery rates between the two groups were 71.2% (N=79) and 78.6% (N=385) (P>0.05). Preterm induced deliveries had an APGAR <7 at 5 minutes in 3 babies (2.7%) and six term babies(1.2%) had an APGAR <7 at 5 minutes (P>0.05). Preterm induced pregnancies reported 28.8% (N=32) NICU admissions and term induced pregnancies had 14.9% (N=73) NICU admissions (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There’s no significant difference in LSCS rates and low 5 min APGAR among two groups. However preterm induction significantly increases NICU admission of the newborn, which is expected due to the complications associated with prematurity of the newborn.Item Challenges of costing a surgical procedure in a lower-middle-income country(Springer-Verlag, 2019) Ekanayake, C.; Pathmeswaran, A.; Kularatna, S.; Herath, R.; Wijesinghe, P.BACKGROUND: It is vital to enquire into cost of health care to ensure that maximum value for money is obtained with available resources; however, there is a dearth of information on cost of health care in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Our aim was to develop a reproducible costing method for three routes of hysterectomy in benign uterine conditions: total abdominal (TAH), non-descent vaginal (NDVH) and total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). METHODS: A societal perspective with a micro-costing approach was applied to find out direct and indirect costs. A total of 147 patients were recruited from a district general hospital (Mannar) and a tertiary care hospital (Ragama). Costs incurred from preoperative period to convalescence included direct costs of labour, equipment, investigations, medications and utilities, and indirect costs of out-of-pocket expenses, productivity losses, carer costs and travelling. Time-driven activity-based costing was used for labour, and top-down micro-costing was used for utilities. RESULTS: The total cost [(interquartile range), number] of TAH was USD 339 [(308-397), n = 24] versus USD 338 [(312-422), n = 25], NDVH was USD 315 [(316-541), n = 23] versus USD 357 [(282-739), n = 26] and TLH was USD 393 [(338-446), n = 24] versus USD 429 [(390-504), n = 25] at Mannar and Ragama, respectively. The direct cost of TAH, NDVH and TLH was similar between the two centres, whilst indirect cost was related to the setting rather than the route of hysterectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The costing method used in this study overcomes logistical difficulties in a LMIC and can serve as a guide for clinicians and policy makers in similar settings.Item Term versus preterm induction of labor: Does it change the outcome?(Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, 2016) Dias, T.; Gunasena, J.; Pieris, V.; Herath, R.; Wijesinghe, P.ABSTRACT: Induction of labour is important to timely deliver the fetus and minimize adverse perinatal outcomes to both the mother and the neonate. Therefore, comparison of the outcomes following induction of labour at term and preterm is invaluable to assess its benefits and detriments. OBJECTIVE: Compare fetal and labour outcomes following induction of preterm and term singleton pregnancies. METHOD: This was a retrospective studycarried out at North Colombo Teaching Hospital using North Colombo Obstetric Database (NORCOD) between March 2014 and May 2016. Six hundred and one singleton pregnancies that underwent induction of labour were included. Timing of induction of labor was categorized intopreterm labor induction (<38 weeks) and term labour induction (38-42 weeks). Vaginal delivery rate and neonatal outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Out of 601 cases 18.5% (N=111) were induced preterm and 81.5% (N=490) were induced at term. Vaginal delivery rates between the two groups were 71.2% (N=79) and 78.6% (N=385) (P>0.05). Preterm induced deliveries had an APGAR <7 at 5 minutes in 3 babies (2.7%) and six term babies(1.2%) had an APGAR <7 at 5 minutes (P>0.05). Preterm induced pregnancies reported 28.8% (N=32) NICU admissions and term induced pregnancies had 14.9% (N=73) NICU admissions (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There’s no significant difference in LSCS rates and low 5 min APGAR among two groups. However preterm induction significantly increases NICU admission of the newborn, which is expected due to the complications associated with prematurity of the newborn.Item Toxoplasmosis awareness, seroprevalence and risk behavior among pregnant women in the Gampaha district, Sri Lanka(London, UK : Maney Publishing., 2016) Chandrasena, N.; Herath, R.; Rupasinghe, N.; Samarasinghe, B.; Samaranayake, H.; Kasturiratne, A.; de Silva, N.R.BACKGROUND: Primary gestational toxoplasmosis can be transmitted to the fetus with deleterious effects on the pregnancy. There is very little information regarding gestational toxoplasmosis in Sri Lanka. This survey was done to determine the prevalence and awareness of toxoplasmosis and to identify risk factors of infection among pregnant women in the Gampaha district, Sri Lanka. METHODS: Women attending obstetric clinics at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in 2014 were tested for Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) specific Immunoglobulins G (IgG) and M (IgM) subtypes using the OnSite Toxo IgG/IgM Rapid Test-Dip Strip®. Disease awareness and risk behaviors of the participants were investigated. RESULTS: Of the 293 participants (mean age 27 years, SD ± 5.92), 38% were primigravidae with a mean gestational age of 16.2 weeks (SD 7). The prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies was 12.3% (n = 36) and zero, respectively. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated to determine risk factors of infection (cat-ownership, handling cats, consumption of meat, commercial meals and unwashed raw vegetables and fruits, handling soil and not washing hands after handling soil). On bivariate analysis, eating commercially prepared meals weekly or more was associated with toxoplasma seroprevalence with marginal statistical significance. On multivariate analysis, none of the considered risk factors were significant. Toxoplasma awareness was 4.4% (n = 13); health personnel (46.2%, n = 6) and media (53.8%, n = 7) being sources of information. CONCLUSIONS: Health education programs to increase awareness of toxoplasmosis is recommended at antenatal clinics.Item A Fatal case of dissecting aortic root aneurysm due to undiagnosed Marfan syndrome in the puerperium(Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2012) Nishad, A.A.N.; Herath, R.; Silva, G.R.C.; Mohamed, R.; Wijesinghe, P.; Padumadasa, S.; Premawardhena, A.; Premaratna, R.Aortic dissection in pregnancy is a lethal cardiovascular complication in women with Marfan syndrome. The course of the treatment would be decided upon by the size of aortic root dilation. We report a case where the unawareness of the diagnosis of Marfan syndrome antenatally led to disastrous post partum consequences even after an uneventful childbirth.