Group B Streptococcus (GBS), also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, is a gram-positive bacterium found in the urogenital or anorectal regions of approximately 10-30% of pregnant women globally. GBS is a significant contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality in both mothers and newborns. Research shows that intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), also referred to as intrapartum chemoprophylaxis, is highly effective in preventing early-onset GBS disease in infants born to women colonized with GBS. In Ghana, cross-sectional studies estimate the GBS colonization prevalence at 19-28%. These studies also suggest that Ghana essential medicines list contains effective antimicrobial agents for GBS intrapartum chemoprophylaxis available for clinicians to use. However, standardized guidelines for GBS IAP are lacking in Ghana. As a result, it remains uncertain whether the introduction and implementation a GBS screening and IAP protocol, combined with continuing medical education (CME), would improve GBS screening and IAP practices and reduce preventable GBS-related perinatal morbidity and mortality in Ghana.The objective of this study is to use Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) as a pilot site for an evidence-based GBS screening and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis protocol, combined with CME, to evaluate its impact on GBS screening and IAP practices among clinicians at TTH.
The study was a hospital-based intervention including the proposed GBS IAP protocol and CME conducted at TTH's delivery ward and antenatal clinic. Data were collected at two time points that was: before the intervention, from May 2023 to July 2023, and after the intervention, from November 2023 to January 2024. The intervention took place from August 1, 2023, to October 30, 2023, to evaluate its impact on clinicians' GBS screening and IAP knowledge and practices at TTH. During the two time periods, two separate tools were used in parallel to extract data before and after the intervention: (1) a self-administered paper questionnaire for consenting clinicians (including consultants, specialists, medical officers, and nurses/midwives) providing reproductive health services at TTH, aimed at assessing GBS screening and IAP knowledge; and (2) a data extraction form for a retrospective chart review of postpartum women to evaluate GBS screening and IAP practices. We estimated that a sample size of 38 clinicians and 44 medical records of postpartum women, before and after the intervention, would be sufficient to demonstrate a 30% significant difference in GBS screening and IAP knowledge and practices at TTH. To account for potential non-responses from staff and incomplete medical records, we factored in an additional 10% for both sample sizes. The data collected from both the questionnaire and the data extraction form were entered into an Excel spreadsheet using a dual entry process and were subsequently cleaned. For discrete, binary, and categorical variables, descriptive statistics was conducted and reported as percentages. Continuous variables were described using measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) and dispersion. For categorical variables, we used a chi-square test of independence. For continuous variables, a t-test was used. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of <0.05. The analysis was conducted using R version 2.2.3, executed on a Windows 11 Version 22H2 operating system.
Between May 2023 and January 2024, 46 clinicians were interviewed pre-intervention and 45 post-intervention. Clinicians identified penicillin as the first-line antimicrobial agent for GBS intrapartum chemoprophylaxis, with 16 (34.8%) correctly identifying it before the intervention and 41 (91.1%) after (p-value <0.001). Clindamycin was recognized as the second-line treatment by 7 (15.2%) clinicians before the intervention and by 36 (80%) afterward (p-value <0.001). Before the intervention, most clinicians (45, 97.8%) did not routinely screen for GBS, citing the absence of a GBS IAP protocol as the main reason. Post-intervention, this number decreased to 27 (60%); the lack of transport media for clinician use was cited at that time as a reason for not routinely screening pregnant women for GBS. Clinicians unanimously (100%) recommended GBS screening and IAP at TTH both before and after the intervention.
We retrieved a total of 135 medical records of postpartum women (68 at pre-intervention and 67 post-intervention) between May 2023 and January 2024. The prescription of appropriate antibiotics for GBS intrapartum chemoprophylaxis according to protocol increased significantly, from 7.4% to 92% (p-value <0.001). However, only a small number of patients at risk for GBS disease had rectovaginal swabs for culture or antibiotic sensitivity testing obtained: 10 (14.7%) at baseline and 23 (34.3%) post-intervention.
The introduction of a low-cost GBS IAP protocol for use at TTH by clinicians, reinforced through educational sessions, effectively increased GBS IAP knowledge and practices among clinicians. However, it did not significantly improve GBS bacteriological screening and sensitivity testing.