Sustainable scale-up of “Best Practice” for the diagnostic evaluation and clinical management maternal infections and sepsis in Malawi
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Date
2021-11-19
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Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Abstract
The type of research study
We will conduct a cross-sectional survey using retrospective and prospective routine data on
maternal infections and sepsis from the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences Microbiology
laboratory and the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH).
2.2 The problem to be studied
Most of the maternal deaths in the world occur in sub-Saharan Africa and are predominantly caused
by maternal infections and sepsis. However, there is a paucity of data to inform the organismspecific
therapy of maternal infections. Coupled with the narrow range of available antimicrobials,
there is an imminent threat of an outbreak of drug-resistant bugs in our maternal units. This study
aims to describe the aetiological landscape of maternal infections and sepsis in secondary and
tertiary care facilities in the Southern Region of Malawi, while profiling the antimicrobial resistance
patterns in this setting.
2.3 The Research objectives
2.3.1 Broad objective
• To describe the aetiological landscape of maternal infections and sepsis in secondary and
tertiary care facilities. in the Southern Region of Malawi.
2.3.2 Specific objectives
• To determine the prevalence of maternal infections and sepsis in secondary and tertiary
care facilities in the Southern Region.
• To describe the factors associated with maternal sepsis
• To describe the antimicrobial resistance profile of maternal infections
• To determine the immediate maternal and foetal outcomes of maternal sepsis
• To describe the factors associated with poor maternal and foetal outcomes due to maternal
infections and sepsis
2.4 Methodology
We conduct a survey of the existing data storage and management systems at QECH OBGYN
department, which will involve an electronic self-administered questionnaire that are to be filled by
facility staff to investigate the existing record keeping facilities at the department. We will then
conduct a retrospective review of case files from records at QECH OBGYN department as well as a
review of microbiological reports of samples analysed by the microbiology lab at the Kamuzu
University of Health Sciences Microbiology lab with a case file analysis of positive microbiology
samples for outcome data.
2.5 Expected findings and their dissemination.
We hypothesize that there is increasing prevalence of maternal infections and sepsis in Blantyre,
especially with the more inclusive definition of maternal infection and sepsis that the WHO has
recommended. The results of this study will be submitted to College of Medicine Research and
Ethics Committee (COMREC) and to journals for peer-reviewed publication. The results of the trial
will also be shared with policy makers at the Ministry of Health in Malawi and the World Health
Organization (WHO).
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Keywords
Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES