Knowledge and Skills of Midwives toward Eclampsia In Public Hospitals In Sana’a, City-Yemen

Nabil A. Al-Rabeei1* , Afrah M. Al-Dubhani2 , Gamil G Alrubaiee1 , Yousef A. Al-Shaabi3 , Abdulsalam M. Dallak2 1Department of Applied Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Al-Razi University, Sana’a, Yemen, 2Nursing division, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana, a University-Yemen. MPHP-Yemen3 *Correspondence to: Nabil Al-Rabeei, nabilalrabeei@alraziuni.edu.ye

Abstract

Background: Eclampsia affects 5 to 10% of all pregnancies and contributes to 10 to 15% of maternal
deaths worldwide. Estimated case fatality rate due to eclampsia is 14 times higher in developing
countries compared to developed countries. Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and skills of
midwives regarding management of eclampsia at public hospitals in Sana, a city. Methods: A
descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from May to June 2018. Stratified random sampling
was administered to selected 50 midwives during the period of this study. The data was collected
using a self-administered questionnaire. A questionnaire was divided into 4 sections namely;
demographic characteristics of midwives, training information in managing eclampsia, midwifery
general knowledge on eclampsia, knowledge on emergency care in managing eclamptic convulsions,
barriers and suggestion in managing eclamptic patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Descriptive analysis, and Chi-square and ANOVA tests were used and the level of significance was
<0.05. Informed oral consent was obtained from the participants. Results: In this study, the mean of
the midwives age was the 28.5 year. Above half (68%) of the midwives were unmarried. A majority
(88%) of midwives had a diploma degree. The mean of work experiences was 7 year. More than half
(60%) of midwives were not attended courses training. 60.4% of the midwives don't know about the
current management of Eclampsia. Staff shortage and equipment were among the major leading
barriers reported by midwives in managing eclampsia. Most of the midwives suggested the need to
have training/seminars for managing eclampsia. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that
the majority of the midwives lack enough knowledge about the management of eclampsia. There
should be a need for the development of in-service training programs for midwives regarding the
managing eclampsia.