Why Obstetric Patients are admitted to Intensive Care Unit? A Retrospective Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pregnant women are often young and in their reproductive years. In majority of them, pregnancy and labor usually progresses uneventfully. Sudden complications occurring during this period may lead to maternal mortality. Though obstetric admission forms a small proportion of ICU admission, mortality among them is high. Proper antenatal care is still the mainstay of preventing complications in pregnant woman. This study was conducted to evaluate the obstetric admission to intensive care unit and causes and outcome of them. Two years retrospective review of all the obstetric admissions (Antenatal and postnatal up to 6 weeks post delivery) were done. Total number of patients admitted to ICU in this period, total number of deliveries in study period and total obstetric patients admitted to ICU were noted. The data included demographic details, obstetric history, indications for ICU admission, pre-existing medical illness and pregnancy complications necessitating ICU admissions. Total obstetric patients admitted to ICU were 1.04% of all deliveries. 48.53% women had pre-existing medical illness. 87.24% were antenatal and 12.67% were postnatal patients. 70.21% women had obstetric/medical illnesses during pregnancy which ICU admissions. Maternal mortality was observed in 31.91%. There was.changing trend in causes of maternal mortality, i.e. tropical diseases like dengue and malaria are found to be the cause of mortality in developing countries like India. Thus, there is need of obstetric high dependency unit (OHDU) at every center. How to cite this article Ghike S, Asegaonkar P. Why Obstetric Patients are admitted to Intensive Care Unit? A Retrospective Study. J South Asian Feder Obst Gynae 2012;4(2):90-92.