UTERINE RUPTURE AND SCAR DEHISCENCE - A 5-YEAR SURVEY

A review of the medical records from two public hospitals in Sydney wa s undertaken to determine the incidence of this uncommon complication. Twenty-seven cases of uterine rupture were reported out of 31,115 del iveries with an incidence of 0.086% (versus 0.05% in the current liter ature). The incidence associated with previous caesarean section was 0 .038% (versus 0.8% in the current literature). Predisposing and associ ated factors in this review were similar to those reported by others. There was no maternal mortality in our series but the fetal mortality rate was 5 out of 27 cases. Uterine ruptures in the midtrimester were associated with high rates of maternal morbidity and fetal loss. Forty -eight per cent of patients with uterine rupture received epidural ana lgesia. The associated factors and outcomes are discussed. The current literature is reviewed in relation to this high-risk group of patient s.