title: Caesarean wound care for midwives.
abstract: With a rise in caesarean births there is a rise in wound care management issues for midwives and the potential for surgical site infections (SSIs). The burden of SSIs include increases in maternal mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay and cost. Sepsis is currently the leading cause of maternal mortality, with 50 per cent of the women who died from sepsis having had a caesarean birth (Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE) 2011). Wound management and the prevention of sepsis are therefore issues of great concern to midwives. This article considers the incidence of wound infections and presents the guidance available to help address this problem.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery at University College Cork.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D011645:Puerperal Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*