AWARENESS OF PUEPERAL SEPSIS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING
ANTENATAL CLINIC AT THE KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL, NAIROBI
COUNTY, KENYA.
By MOKAYA JOLYNNE, EMILIO JAMES NGIGE
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Puerperal sepsis is still high, ranked by the World Health Organization as the 6th
leading cause of disease burden for women aged 15-44 years; these has been strongly associated
with nosocomial infections and increasing antibiotics resistance posing a significant challenge to
overburdened health care systems. Awareness of puerperal sepsis among the population at risk as
a form of management and prevention has not been emphasized
Objective: To assess the level of awareness on the causes, management and prevention of
puerperal sepsis among pregnant women attending ANC clinic at the KNH.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A structured questionnaire was
used to assess the level of awareness on causes, management and prevention of puerperal sepsis.
Ethical approval was obtained from the KNH/UoN Ethics Committee. Data was analyzed using
SPSS version 16.
Results: 26 out of 44 women included in this study are aware that a woman could contract an
infection during or shortly after child birth, miscarriage or abortion that could lead to illness or
even death called puerperal sepsis (i.e. 59.1 %) whereas the remaining 18 that is 40.9% are not
aware. Among the ones who were not aware, 4 women had suffered an infection after delivery.
84.1% of the respondents found it essential for them to be involved in the management and
prevention of puerperal sepsis.
Conclusion: Majority of the women had no insight about puerperal sepsis in terms of
identification of danger signs and symptoms indicating infection, ways of preventing infection
after delivery, abortion or miscarriage and how they can be involved in its management.
Educating and involving the population at risk in the prevention and the management of
puerperal sepsis has not been emphasized despite its importance.
Keywords: Puerperal sepsis, awareness, pregnant women