A Retrospective Study on Neonatal Tetanus in Ahmad Sani Yarima Bakura Specialist Hospital Gusau, Zamfara, Nigeria

SHEHU Malam Umar, MUSA Yusuf, & ADJENE Josiah Obaghwarhievwo*
Department of Public and Community Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, Nigeria.

DOI – http://doi.org/10.37502/IJSMR.2021.4507

Abstract

Neonatal tetanus (NT) is a form of generalized tetanus that occurs in a newborn infant (0-28 days) that is not protected by passive immunity due to the fact that the mother is not immune. In this study, five (5) years retrospective records on neonatal tetanus in Ahmad Sani Yarima Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau Zamfara State was investigated. A total of 335 case notes of mothers and their neonates (male and female neonates) who registered at Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital Gusau from January 2016 to December 2020 were obtained, sorted, and analysed to obtain socio-demographic records and associated clinical responses of neonates who presented with tetanus. The records were extracted and subjected to statistical tests (one-way analysis of variance) to compare mean differences across different variables; while pegging p-values ≤ 0.05 as statistically significant. From the results, a significant number of neonates received antigens and vaccines for BCG and Tetanus at birth. This record however decreased insignificantly for OPV0 and HBV1 as compared with the antigen group. Also, the records of clinical signs manifested by neonates on the point of admission showed clinical signs of autonomic instability as compared with others. However, there was a statistically insignificant increase (p > 0.05) in the numbers that came up with fever as against feeding difficulty. Notwithstanding, the records of clinical complications associated with neonates on admission. Here, mild to moderate signs were noticed for a broken bone, pulmonary embolism and pneumonia records as obtained. Also, records on the percentage number of surfaces (based on obtained records) commonly used for child delivery in the study area shows a significant number of delivery cases that repeatedly took place in bedsheets, accounting for a total of 232 (73%), while plastic 71 (22%) and others 11 (4%) immediately followed respectively. Here, a significant percentage (258 of 81%) of cord ties depended on clean threads within the study area for the newborn, whereas, other sources came next, accounting for about 48 (15%) of the recorded cases. We observed that neonatal sepsis and transmission usually occur through infection during unhygienic cutting of the umbilical cord or improper handling of the cord stump. Similar studies that corroborate the reports of this study are highly recommended; especially in other areas with low to intermediate health care and maternal mortality incidences.

Keywords: Tetanus, Neonate, Zamfara, Sepsis.

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Works Cited

SHEHU Malam Umar, MUSA Yusuf, & ADJENE Josiah Obaghwarhievwo2021A Retrospective Study on Neonatal Tetanus in Ahmad Sani Yarima Bakura Specialist Hospital Gusau, Zamfara, NigeriaInternational Journal of Scientific and Management Research0405124-140doihttp://doi.org/10.37502/IJSMR.2021.4507

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