ArticlePLOS global public health2022
Discharge instructions given to women following delivery by cesarean section in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.
Article in PLOS global public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effectiveness of the post-caesarean section home care guide in increasing the knowledge of nurse midwives in central Tanzania.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Postnatal care service utilisation and associated factors among multiparous women in Buyamba County, Rakai District Uganda: a community-based cross-sectional study.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Article
- Community health workers' usability and acceptability of an mHealth tool for post-cesarean assessments: A mixed-methods study in rural Rwanda.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Functional recovery after cesarean delivery: a prospective cohort study in rural Rwanda.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
- Article
- Safe recovery after cesarean in rural Africa: Technical consensus guidelines for post-discharge care.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2023Review
- Knowledge of post-cesarean home care among postpartum mothers in Central Tanzania: Baseline findings from a quasi-experimental study.Women's health (London, England)Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveA scoping review of discharge instructions for women undergoing cesarean section (c-section) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
methodStudies were identified from PubMed, Globus Index Medicus, NiPAD, EMBASE, and EBSCO databases. Eligible papers included research based in a SSA country, published in English or French, and containing information on discharge instructions addressing general postnatal care, wound care, planning of future births, or postpartum depression targeted for women delivering by c-section. For analysis, we used the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews followed by a narrative synthesis. We assessed quality of evidence using the GRADE system.
resultsWe identified 78 eligible studies; 5 papers directly studied discharge protocols and 73 included information on discharge instructions in the context of a different study objective. 37 studies addressed wound care, with recommendations to return to a health facility for dressing changes and wound checks between 3 days to 6 weeks. 16 studies recommended antibiotic use at discharge, with 5 specifying a particular antibiotic. 19 studies provided recommendations around contraception and family planning, with 6 highlighting intrauterine device placement immediately after birth or 6-weeks postpartum and 6 studies discussing the importance of counselling services. Only 5 studies provided recommendations for the evaluation and management of postpartum depression in c-section patients; these studies screened for depression at 4-8 weeks postpartum and highlighted connections between c-section delivery and the loss of self-esteem as well as connections between emergency c-section delivery and psychiatric morbidity.
conclusionFew studies in SSA directly examine discharge protocols and instructions for women following c-section. Those available demonstrate wide variation in recommendations. Research is needed to develop structured evidence-based instructions with clear timelines for women. These instructions should account for financial burden, access to resources, and education of patients and communities.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.