Libyan Medical Journal

Maternal Risk Factors and Neonatal Outcomes of Preterm Birth in Benghazi, Libya

Marleen Alamrouni, Malak Alamrouni, Mohsen Najeeb — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide and remains a major public health challenge. Identifying maternal risk factors and evaluating neonatal outcomes are essential for improving pregnancy care and neonatal survival in Libya. This study aimed to identify the maternal risk factors associated with preterm birth and evaluate neonatal outcomes among preterm infants admitted at Benghazi Children’s Hospital, Libya. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of 100 preterm neonates and their mothers admitted to Benghazi Children’s Hospital between 2023 and 2025. Data on maternal characteristics, pregnancy-related risk factors, neonatal complications, and clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The mean maternal age was 33.25 ± 5.12 years, while the mean gestational age and birth weight were 34.05 ± 1.48 weeks and 2.00 ± 0.50 kg, respectively. Maternal infection was the most frequently identified risk factor (34%), followed by multiple gestation (20%) and antepartum hemorrhage (9%). Respiratory distress syndrome was the most common neonatal complication (60%), followed by neonatal jaundice (33%), sepsis (7%), and anemia (5%). A strong positive correlation was observed between gestational age and birth weight (r = 0.749, p < 0.001). The neonatal survival rate was 92%, while the mortality rate was 2%. Associations between individual maternal risk factors and neonatal complications were generally weak and did not reach statistical significance. Maternal infection and multiple gestations were the predominant risk factors associated with preterm birth in Benghazi. Although respiratory distress syndrome remained the predominant neonatal complication, the overall survival rate was high. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening antenatal infection screening, providing specialized care for multiple pregnancies, and continuing to improve neonatal intensive care services to reduce the incidence of preterm birth in Libya.

Evaluation of Pure Tone Audiometry in Paediatric Patients with Otitis Media with Effusion: A Retrospective Study

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Otitis media with effusion (OME) frequently impairs sound transmission in children, yet the severity and shape of the resulting hearing loss are not uniform. How effusion volume and viscosity contribute to this variation remains insufficiently defined. To investigate how middle-ear effusion characteristics relate to frequency-specific air-conduction thresholds in children with OME. Records of 180 children aged 3–12 years with persistent OME who underwent myringotomy, with or without ventilation tube insertion, were reviewed retrospectively. Air-conduction thresholds at 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz were available for 360 ears. Operative descriptions classified effusion volume as partial, half, or full and viscosity as serous, mucoid, or purulent. Generalised estimating equation (GEE) models accounted for correlation between ears within the same child and included age, sex, OME duration, and ear side as covariates. The mean four-frequency hearing threshold increased from 20.02 ± 3.12 dB HL in ears with partial effusion to 23.38 ± 8.14 dB HL with half effusion and 48.61 ± 3.85 dB HL with full effusion. After adjustment, full effusion was associated with a 28.21-dB higher threshold than partial effusion (95% CI, 27.20–29.22; P < 0.001). Serous effusion showed predominantly low-frequency threshold elevation at 250–500 Hz, whereas mucoid effusion was associated with a nearly flat audiometric profile across 250–2000 Hz, with mean thresholds of approximately 48–49 dB HL. Purulent effusion showed its highest mean threshold at 2000 Hz (51.25 ± 3.54 dB HL), although this finding was based on only eight ears. Frequency-specific hearing profiles differed significantly across effusion viscosity groups (interaction P < 0.001), with a significant frequency-by-volume interaction also observed (P < 0.001). Age, sex, and OME duration were not independently associated with hearing threshold after adjustment for effusion characteristics. The auditory effect of childhood OME was not uniform across effusion characteristics. Increasing effusion volume was associated with poorer hearing thresholds, while serous and mucoid effusions showed different frequency-specific profiles. These results support detailed audiological assessment in persistent OME while recognising that the observed audiometric patterns cannot be attributed to viscosity independently of effusion volume.

Knowledge and Attitude towards Basic Life Support Among Healthcare Professionals in Primary Health Care Centers in Hai Al-Andalus, Tripoli

Ali Ghareba — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Basic Life Support (BLS) is a critical component of the chain of survival in cardiac arrest management. In Libya, healthcare professionals are the first line of defense, yet empirical data regarding their BLS proficiency in primary care settings is limited. This study evaluated the knowledge of and attitudes toward Basic Life Support (BLS) guidelines among various healthcare professional categories in primary healthcare (PHC) centers within the Hai Al-Andalus municipality in Tripoli, Libya. A prospective, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between August and December 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of Libyan healthcare providers, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and laboratory workers. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests and Chi-square tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 399 participants completed the survey (99.75% response rate), with a female majority (90.5%) and a mean age of 37.9 ± 8.0 years. While a positive attitude and a strong desire for further BLS training were expressed by over 75% of participants across all specialties, the overall knowledge scores were below average. Doctors demonstrated the highest proficiency (51.6% good knowledge), whereas laboratory workers and nursing staff exhibited significantly lower scores (45.6% and 37.6% below average, respectively; p = 0.001). A critical gap was identified, as a vast majority had never received formal or recent BLS training, primarily due to busy clinical schedules. There is a significant deficiency in theoretical BLS knowledge among PHC professionals in Tripoli, despite highly positive learning attitudes. Immediate institutional interventions are essential to integrate mandatory, regular BLS certification and in-situ simulation training into the primary healthcare professional framework to ensure patient safety and improve survival outcomes.