Sonographic findings among pregnant women presenting with per-vaginal bleeding at Kawempe National Referral Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Vaginal bleeding has been noticed as the major problem experienced by pregnant women associated with consequences like abortions, preterm birth, low birth weight, intrauterine fetal deaths, intrauterine growth retardation and anemia in pregnant women. According to the records at Kawempe Referral National Hospital, numerous pregnant women returned to hospital for attendance to the antenatal care services complaining of Per-vaginal bleeding before their next recommended date of attendance. Methodology: The purpose of the study was to determine the sonographic findings in pregnant women presenting with Per-vaginal bleeding referred for obstetric ultrasound scan at Kawempe Hospital. The study was non-interventional, cross section, descriptive, and quantitative. The study involved 100 participants and it was conducted for a period of two months at Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Kawempe District, Central Region Uganda. An informed consent was obtained from the patient before collecting data and confidentiality was assured and maintained throughout the study. Results: Majority of the respondents were Baganda (51.0%), aged 21-34 years (50.0%) and had stopped in secondary (63.0%). Majority were from Central Uganda and were mainly business women (51.0%) and house wives (26%) and were in the first trimester (54%). Majority of the respondents reported history of use of contraceptives (60.0%), history of a miscarriage (47.0%), history of caesarian section (25.0%) and presence of vaginal infection (19%) alongside PV bleeding. The major sonographic findings among pregnant women with vaginal bleeding are normal sonographic findings (threatened abortion) 41%, uterine fibroid (13%), placenta Previa (12%), incomplete abortion (8%), molar pregnancy (5%), inevitable abortion (4%) and vasa Previa (4%). Conclusions: Vaginal bleeding is common among pregnant women in the first trimester and threatened abortion is the major cause of vaginal bleeding among pregnant women. Any pregnant woman presenting with vaginal bleeding should have an early and timely ultrasound.