Obstructed labour - a preventable entity.

We present a clinical study of 204 cases of obstructed labour admitted over a period of 5 years between 1991-92 and 1996-97 in a rural institute in central India. They constituted 1.9% of births. Seventy-one per cent of the cases were from the rural area (similar to the overall patient population in this hospital), 31.4% women were primigravidae. Of the subjects, 64.7% were between 20 and 29 years. Malpresentation was the cause in 53.2%, followed by cephalopelvic disproportion, in 41.1%. Intraoperative incomplete rupture was detected in 5.9% cases. The commonest maternal morbidity was intraoperative extension of uterine incision at the time of caesarean section, mostly lateral (14.0%). Of the women, 12.5% had intrapartum or postpartum sepsis. The perinatal mortality was 160/1000. There was no maternal mortality. Timely diagnosis of malpresentation, pelvic contraction and use of a partogram at all levels could have prevented obstructed labour. In these unfortunate situations, judicious selection of subjects for caesarean section is appropriate, avoiding heroic vaginal procedures even with a dead baby. Infection devitalises tissues and attempts at vaginal delivery may be dangerous.