title: [Analysis of the causes for increases in the length of stay in the Recovery Unit of La Paz Maternity Hospital in 2008].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the spectrum of diseases in the obstetric patient that involves an increase in the length of stay in the Recovery Unit of a specialist Maternity Hospital. To analyse the severity of these conditions as regards the means required for their resolu-tion, as well as to identify the factors that influence on post-operative morbidity in the obstetric patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the case histories of all the patients admitted to the Maternity Hospital Recovery Unit during the year 2008 were reviewed. Those who required a lon-ger stay than usual were selected, which included, those with more than 6hours after a caesarean, and all admissions made during pregnancy, or after dilation and curettage or partum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of a total of 10419 births delivered in 2008, 3000 obstetric patients were ad-mitted to the Maternity Hospital Recovery Unit, of which 285 (9.5%) required critical care. The most frequent cause of increased length of stay was obstetric haemorrhage, followed by hypertensive states of pregnancy. No patients died in this Unit in the year 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of patients who had an increased length of stay in the Mater-nity Hospital Recovery Unit is similar to the percentage of patients who are admitted to Intensive Care Units in countries such as Canada or the United Kingdom, but our Unit had a lower death rate in the year evaluated. The main causes are obstetric haemorrhage and hypertensive states of pregnancy, thus patients with risk factors for developing these complications must be observed closely and monitored.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Maternal La Paz, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Población García
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Solera Ruiz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gredilla
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gilsanz Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D011997:Recovery Room; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult