title: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of obstetric patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: a 10-year retrospective review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the characteristics and health-related quality-of-life outcomes of obstetric patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A regional hospital in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive obstetric patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital from January 1998 to December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty obstetric patients (mean [standard deviation] age, 31 [6] years; mean gestational age, 34 [9] weeks) were analysed. The most common obstetric cause of admission was postpartum haemorrhage (n=19, 38%), followed by pregnancy-associated hypertension (n=7, 14%). The commonest non-obstetric cause of admission was sepsis (n=7, 14%). The commonest intervention was arterial line insertion (n=33, 66%) and mechanical ventilation (n=29, 58%). Maternal mortality was 6% (n=3), while the perinatal mortality rate was 8% (n=4). The average Short Form-36 Health Survey scores of our patients were lower than the norm for the Hong Kong population of the same age and gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postpartum haemorrhage and pregnancy-associated hypertension were the most common causes of admission to our Intensive Care Unit. Overall mortality was low. Long-term health-related quality of life in discharged patients was lower than the norm of the Hong Kong population. Appropriate antenatal care is important in preventing obstetric complications. Continued psychosocial follow-up of discharged patients has to be implemented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong. nat_leung@yahoo.com.hk
authors.forename: N Y W
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: A C W
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: K K C
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies