Maternal and perinatal outcomes of obstructed labour in Kassala hospital, Sudan

The medical files of 42 patients presenting with obstructed labour to Kassala hospital over a period of 1 year were reviewed. The incidence of obstructed labour was 0.9%. The majority of these patients were primigravidae (52.4%), illiterate (69%), of rural residence (90.5%) and unbooked (64.3%) emergencies. Caesarean section was the mode of delivery in 95.2% and the rest (4.8%) were delivered by forceps. Ruptured uterus (14.3%) and vesico-vaginal fistulae (4.8%) were the main complications among these patients. There were 4.8% and 35.7% maternal and perinatal mortality, respectively. Thus, in this setting obstructed labour constitutes a major threat to both mother and fetus.