Ruptured uterus in a primigravida, secondary to abdominal manipulation by a traditional birth attendant: a case report

Rupture of the gravid uterus is a life threatening obstetric complication which is a rare event in the primigravida. We present a case of uterine rupture in a 34 year-old unbooked primigravida. She presented in labour post-term to a traditional birth attendant who carried out an abdominal manipulation to correct a suspected oblique lie. Soon afterward she developed severe epigastric pain and breathlessness and was referred to our center. Findings at operation included a live female baby weighing 2.9kg and 6 cm transverse posterio-fundal rupture. Repair of the uterine rupture was done without bilateral tubal ligation. Keywords: uterus, rupture, TBA, manipulation Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol. 22(1) 2005: 83-84