Obstetric patients treated in intensive care units and maternal mortality. Regional Teams for the Survey.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the frequency of serious diseases in pregnant women.


METHODS
A population based survey was performed in France. The cases were all the women admitted for treatment in intensive care unit (ICU). The severity of the cases was measured with the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) the lethality and the rate of still birth.


RESULTS
435 obstetric patients were included. The estimated frequency of severe diseases was 310 S.D.36 per 100,000 live births. The most frequent diagnose that motived admission in ICU was hypertensive diseases. The lethality rates differed greatly between specific disorders. The lethality rate was lower when scheduled maternity was located in a teaching hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
Regarding these results it appears that the majority of obstetric patients with severe diseases are referred to suitable care, but a small proportion of women who had to change their type of care registered a significant higher lethality.
Bouvier-Colle
M H
MH
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U149 Recherches Epidémiologiques sur la Santé des Femmes et des Enfants. 123, France.
Salanave
B
B
Ancel
P Y
PY
Varnoux
N
N
Fernandez
H
H
Papiernik
E
E
Bréart
G
G
Benhamou
D
D
Boutroy
P
P
Caillier
I
I
Dumoulin
M
M
Fournet
P
P
Elhassani
M
M
Puech
F
F
Poutot
C
C
D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*