Corresponding author: Monday Komene Sapira; Email:
Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0.
Gas gangrene in pregnancy, parturition, and abortions requiring urological and
surgical intervention: Patterns, features, and world distribution
Monday Komene Sapira
1, *
and Leesi Sapira-Ordu
2
1
Department of Surgery, Urology Division, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
2
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 18(01), 870–878
Publication history: Received on 04 March 2023; revised on 16 April 2023; accepted on 18 April 2023
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2023.18.1.0646
Abstract
Introduction: Gas gangrene in pregnancy and its outcome has a poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to determine
the patterns of its occurrence worldwide, and the evolution of its treatment within the last 6 decades.
Materials and methods: The study was done at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Using search
terms, a bibliographical search was made in the PubMed/ Medline and PubMed Central computerized databases for
articles published on the subject from 01/01/1966 to 31/12/2022. Details of each publication, including the date and
location of the study, number and socio-demographic information on affected patient(s), clinical features of the disease,
laboratory investigations, types, and outcome of treatments were recorded. Results obtained were collated with simple
statistics and presented.
Results: Ninety-five (95) study reports on 153 patients were seen and studied. The disease has global distribution. The
number of study reports significantly correlated positively with the number of treated patients. There was no significant
increase in the number of study reports, and the number of cases during the study period, P>0.50.
The pattern of treatment was focused on aggressive life-saving surgical excision of all involved tissues. In some cases,
these ablative procedures either had fatal complications, or left many patients with loss of vital organs and body parts,
with poor functional and cosmetic outcomes.
Conclusion: The dearth of records suggests that, generally worldwide, experience with the disease may be limited. A
program of development of conservative treatment of the disease, and pre-pregnancy immunization of women of
childbearing age is advocated.
Keywords: Gas gangrene in pregnancy and its outcome; Diagnostic features; Patterns of treatment and outcome;
World distribution
1 Introduction
Our previous studies on gas gangrene in pregnancy and its outcome, and information in the literature indicated that the
disease could arise from infections originating from fetal tissues, or any part of the maternal extra genital or genital
tissue sites [1, 2]. There has also been the notion that the disease occurs mostly in low-income countries with limited
resources, and that its early features are non-specific. We considered a pattern study necessary to reasonably
characterize this deadly disease. The aim of this study is to determine the patterns of occurrence, and the evolution of