Prevalence of Postpartum Readmission in University Hospitals of Ahvaz, Southwest of Iran in 2020-2022

Background: The postpartum period, which includes the 12 weeks after delivery, is considered the fourth trimester. During this period, postpartum complications such as febrile morbidities, thromboembolic events, preeclampsia, etc. can lead to readmission and morbidity in mothers. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence of post-partum patient readmission in university hospitals of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran during 2020-22. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in university hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences during 2020-22. All pregnant mothers who were re-admitted to hospital during their postpartum period were examined. Results: Between 2020 and 2022, a total of 21,498 births took place in Ahvaz University Hospitals. Of these, 8,071 were Vaginal Deliveries (VDs) and 13,427 were Cesarean Section (CS). The prevalence of readmission was 1.39%. The most common cause of readmission was febrile complications, with pelvic abscess (17.7%) and metritis (27%) being the most frequent. Pelvic abscess occurred only in women with cesarean delivery. Wound dehiscence rates were 3.3% for episiotomy and 4.7% for cesarean. Blood transfusion was required in 35.5% of cases, with 7.0% related to VD and 26.5% to CS. Conclusion: This study showed that in patients undergoing CS, there were greater rates of postpartum readmission and morbidity and longer length of hospital stay. The most common cause of hospitalization was febrile morbidity followed by delayed postpartum hemorrhage, Abscess, Episiotomy, Hospitals, University, Iran