Acute care visits and rehospitalization in women and infants after cesarean birth.
This study, conducted as a randomized clinical trial, focuses on acute care visits and rehospitalizations of mothers whose infants were delivered by cesarean section (n = 122) and infants (n = 123) for 8 weeks after hospital discharge. There were three maternal rehospitalizations. Maternal acute care visits were for wound infections or complications (27 of 34); 21 occurred in the first 4 weeks. Seventy-five percent of infant rehospitalizations were for infection or possible infection; 22 of 31 infant acute care visits occurred in first 4 weeks for bilirubin checks and infant care problems, and 21 of 25 visits in weeks 5 to 8 were for infections. Discharge teaching and home care in first 4 weeks after discharge and issues related to infant infections in the second 4-week period may reduce the need for rehospitalizations and acute care visits in both mothers who had cesarean section and their infants.
Donahue
D
D
University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia 19104-6096.
Brooten
D
D
Roncoli
M
M
Arnold
L
L
Knapp
H
H
Borucki
L
L
Cohen
A
A
D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000628:therapy; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000628:therapy