Search

Introduction: Obstetric hemorrhage remains a largely preventable cause of maternal mortality globally. The contribution of uterine atony to hemorrhage‐related maternal mortality has decreased in France, while the contribution of other causes of obstetric hemorrhage such as surgical injury during cesarean has been reported to increase. However, little evidence exists regarding the risk factors and care processes of women who died from this cause of hemorrhage. Therefore, we aimed to describe the clinical profile, underlying mechanisms, and preventability factors among women who died from obstetric hemorrhage by surgical injury during cesarean section. Material and Methods: Nationwide analysis of all hemorrhage‐related maternal deaths by surgical injury during cesarean in France identified by the nationwide permanent enhanced maternal mortality surveillance system (ENCMM) between 2007 and 2018. We described the characteristics of the women, delivery hospitals, circumstances of hemorrhage, features of obstetric and resuscitation/transfusion care, and main preventability factors. Results: Between 2007 and 2018, hemorrhage‐related maternal mortality in France decreased from 1.6/100 000 live births (95% CI 1.1–2.2) (39/2 472 650) in 2007–2009 to 0.8/100 000 live births (95% CI 0.5–1.3) (19/2 311 783) in 2016–2018. Hemorrhage‐related maternal mortality ratio due to surgical injury during cesarean increased from 0.08 (95% CI 0.01–0.3) (2/2 472 650) to 0.2 (95% CI 0.07–0.5) (5/2 311 783) per 100 000 live births. Among the 18 women who died from surgical injury during cesarean over the 12‐year study period, we report a high prevalence of obesity (67%, 12/18), previous cesarean (72%, 13/18), and second‐stage cesareans (56%, 10/18). In 22% (4/18), cesarean section was performed in a hospital providing <1000 births annually, with no blood bank (39%, 7/18) or no adult intensive care (44%, 8/18) on‐site. Overall preventability of deaths was 94% (17/18). Main preventability factors were related to delay in hemorrhage diagnosis (77%, 14/18) due to late recognition of abnormal parameters (33%, 6/18) and late bedside ultrasound (56%, 10/18), and delay in management due to insufficient surgical skills (56%, 10/18). Conclusions: In France, surgical injury during cesarean section is an increasing, largely preventable contributor to hemorrhage‐related maternal mortality, as other causes of fatal hemorrhage have become less frequent. The profile of these women showed a high prevalence of obesity, previous cesarean, second‐stage cesarean, and delivery in hospitals with limited medical and surgical resources, which suggests explanatory mechanisms for the fatal outcome and opportunities for prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Among women with severe PPH (sPPH) in France and the Netherlands, we compared incidence of adverse maternal outcome (major obstetric hemorrhage (≥2.5L blood loss) and/or hysterectomy and/or mortality) by mode of delivery. Second, we compared use and timing of resuscitation and transfusion management, second-line uterotonics and uterine-sparing interventions (intra-uterine tamponade, compression sutures, vascular ligation, arterial embolization) by mode of delivery. Methods: Secondary analysis of two population-based studies of women with sPPH in France and the Netherlands. Women were selected by a harmonized definition for sPPH: (total blood loss ≥ 1500 ml) AND (blood transfusion of ≥ 4 units packed red blood cells and/or multicomponent blood transfusion). Findings: Incidence of adverse maternal outcome after vaginal birth was 793/1002, 9.1 % in the Netherlands versus 88/214, 41.1 % in France and 259/342, 76.2% versus 160/270, 59.3% after cesarean. Hemostatic agents such as fibrinogen were administered less frequently (p

Objectives: To describe the incidence and outcomes of pulmonary oedema in women with severe maternal outcome during childbirth and identify possible modifiable factors through audit. Methods: All women with severe maternal outcome (maternal deaths or near misses) who were referred to Tygerberg referral hospital from health facilities in Metro East district, South Africa, during 2014–2015 were included. Women with severe maternal outcome and pulmonary oedema during pregnancy or childbirth were evaluated using three types of critical incident audit: criterion‐based case review by one consultant gynaecologist, monodisciplinary critical incident audit by a team of gynaecologists, multidisciplinary audit with expert review from anaesthesiologists and cardiologists. Results: Of 32,161 pregnant women who gave birth in the study period, 399 (1.2%) women had severe maternal outcome and 72/399 (18.1%) had pulmonary oedema with a case fatality rate of 5.6% (4/72). Critical incident audit demonstrated that pre‐eclampsia/HELLP‐syndrome and chronic hypertension were the main conditions underlying pulmonary oedema (44/72, 61.1%). Administration of volumes of intravenous fluids in already sick women, undiagnosed underlying cardiac illness, administration of magnesium sulphate as part of pre‐eclampsia management and oxytocin for augmentation of labour were identified as possible contributors to the pathophysiology of pulmonary oedema. Women‐related factors (improved antenatal care attendance) and health care‐related factors (earlier diagnosis and management) would potentially have improved maternal outcome. Conclusions: Although pulmonary oedema in pregnancy is rare, among women with severe maternal outcome a considerable proportion had pulmonary oedema (18.1%). Audit identified options for prevention of pulmonary oedema and improved outcome. These included early detection and management of preeclampsia with close monitoring of fluid intake and cardiac evaluation in case of suspected pulmonary oedema. Therefore, a multidisciplinary clinical approach is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe maternal morbidity or maternal near-miss (MNM) is now recommended as a better indicator for the quality of maternity care as compared to maternal mortality rates or ratios. Methods: All patients fulfilling the criteria of "Near-miss" admitted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, between September 2018 and August 2019 were included in this hospital-based prospective study. The results were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results: Severe preeclampsia/impending eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP was the leading cause for both maternal near-miss (57, 26.15%) and maternal mortality (13, 8.84%). In 287 cases of severe maternal outcomes, 218 cases were MNM and 69 cases were MD. Mortality index was highest with peripartum cardiomyopathy (66.67%), followed by metabolic encephalopathy (50%). Conclusion: The current study was a prospective 1-year study in a tertiary care hospital. While maternal deaths are now in a downward trend, this study on MNM shows that pregnancy-induced hypertension, PPH, sepsis, and anemia continue to prevail. Maternal near-miss continues to burden the healthcare system and the pregnant women with long duration of hospitalization, interventions, and resources. This calls for consistent efforts to strengthen the maternal healthcare services at all levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jingya Li,1,2,&ast; Junqun Fang,3,&ast; Jiayou Luo,1 Yamei Duan,1 Xiang Xiao,1 Yamei Li,4 Miyang Luo5 1Department of Women and Children Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Child Health Care, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Women Health Care, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Miyang Luo, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, No. 238 Shang Ma Yuan Ling Road, Changsha, 410078, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 731-84805465, Email miyangluo@csu.edu.cnPurpose: Anemia is a worldwide common condition during pregnancy, conferring a number of health risks to mothers. However, very little is known about the association between severity of anemia and severe maternal outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association between severity of anemia during pregnancy and the risk of severe maternal outcomes.Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on data from China’s National Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System for the period 2017– 2018, which included 18 hospitals in southern China. Pregnant women admitted for delivery were divided into 4 groups based on severity of anemia during pregnancy: no anemia, mild anemia, moderate anemia, and severe anemia groups. Severe maternal outcomes were a composite of life-threatening conditions (ie, organ dysfunction) as defined by the WHO criteria, occurring at any time after admission until discharge or death. Modified Poisson regression analyses and propensity score-weighted regression analyses were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of severe maternal outcomes among women with anemia of varying severity during pregnancy.Results: The incidence of severe maternal outcomes was 0.3% (417/138,556) in total, and the rates were 0.1% (85/99,755), 0.2% (30/18,502), 1.2% (234/19,697) and 11.3% (68/602) in no anemia, mild anemia, moderate anemia and severe anemia group, respectively. Compared with no anemia, the adjusted RR for severe maternal outcomes was 4.19 (95% CI, 3.20– 5.50) in moderate anemia group and 22.12 (95% CI, 15.43– 31.69) in severe anemia group; the weighted RR was 1.01 (95% CI, 1.01– 1.01) in moderate anemia group and 1.11 (95% CI, 1.07– 1.14) in severe anemia group.Conclusion: Moderate to severe anemia during pregnancy was independently associated with an increased risk of severe maternal outcomes. Maternal health care providers and pregnant women themselves should give more attention to the prevention and treatment of anemia during pregnancy, especially moderate to severe anemia.Keywords: anemia, severity, severe maternal outcome, retrospective cohort, propensity score weighting

AbstractThis study analyses the contribution of system-related factors to maternal mortality in the low-resource setting of Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is a retrospective cohort study including all maternal deaths (MD, n = 139) and maternal near-misses (MNM, n = 122) in Mnazi Mmoja Hospital with sufficient documentation during 2015 to 2018 (MD) and 2017 to 2018 (MNM). The number of admissions and surgical interventions per health care provider on the day of admission and the number of times vital signs were monitored per day were compared between MNM and MD cases using logistic regression. The mean number of times vital signs were monitored per day was associated with reduced odds of mortality (aOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64–0.89), after adjustment for confounding factors such as severity of illness. The numbers of admissions or surgical procedures per health care provider were not associated with mortality. Concluding, the degree of monitoring of patients with life-threatening complications of pregnancy or childbirth is associated with the risk of mortality independent of the degree of severity. Preventing maternal mortality requires going beyond availability of essential interventions to tackle system-related factors that have a direct impact on the capacity to provide comprehensive care.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Root cause analyses of maternal deaths have identified many system-related factors, such as availability of health care providers, adequate training, and motivation to sustain high intensity monitoring (Madzimbamuto et al. 2014; Mahmood et al. 2018).What do the results of this study add? This is the first study to attempt to quantify the contribution of these system-related factors by comparing cases of maternal death with cases of maternal near-miss. We show that the degree of monitoring of patients with life-threatening complications is associated with the odds of mortality independent of the degree of severity. Even though this relation should not be regarded as causative, monitoring of vital signs can be seen as reflective of many system-related factors which hamper or facilitate comprehensive care.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study helps increase general understanding of the factors leading to progression from severe disease to death in a high-volume low-income setting.

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors for severe maternal outcome (SMO) in Afghan immigrant women. Methods: Women with potentially life‐threatening conditions (PLTC) were selected. Then risk factors for those PLTC which led to SMO (maternal near‐miss or maternal death) were evaluated. In addition, risk factors for those SMOs occurring on hospital admission or during the first 12 hours after admission to the hospital (SMO12) were evaluated. Results: Parity ≥3 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62–6.50, P = 0.03), low literacy level in mother (aOR 2.99, 95% CI 1.16–5.01, P = 0.03), inadequate prenatal care (aOR 2.74, 95% CI 1.2–3.87, P = 0.01), multigravidity (gravidity ≥5: aOR 2.62, 95% CI 1.31–4.53, P = 0.03), lack of health insurance (aOR 2.52, 95% CI 1.25–4.02, P = 0.01), and low literacy level in husband (aOR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.15–2.9, P = 0.02) were the risk factors for SMO in women with PLTC. Inadequate prenatal care (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 2.05–8.25, P = 0.04), low literacy level in mother (aOR 3.38, 95% CI 1.32–6.65, P = 0.04), parity ≥3 (aOR 2.69, 95% CI 1.16–4.7, P = 0.04), and lack of health insurance (aOR 2.13, 95% CI 1.25–3.67, P = 0.03) were risk factors for SMO12. Conclusion: There was a higher rate of SMO and SMO12 cases among Afghan immigrant women. There is a higher rate of severe maternal outcomes in total and within 12 hours of hospitalization among Afghan immigrant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the contribution of system-related factors to maternal mortality in the low-resource setting of Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is a retrospective cohort study including all maternal deaths (MD, n = 139) and maternal near-misses (MNM, n = 122) in Mnazi Mmoja Hospital with sufficient documentation during 2015 to 2018 (MD) and 2017 to 2018 (MNM). The number of admissions and surgical interventions per health care provider on the day of admission and the number of times vital signs were monitored per day were compared between MNM and MD cases using logistic regression. The mean number of times vital signs were monitored per day was associated with reduced odds of mortality (aOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64–0.89), after adjustment for confounding factors such as severity of illness. The numbers of admissions or surgical procedures per health care provider were not associated with mortality. Concluding, the degree of monitoring of patients with life-threatening complications of pregnancy or childbirth is associated with the risk of mortality independent of the degree of severity. Preventing maternal mortality requires going beyond availability of essential interventions to tackle system-related factors that have a direct impact on the capacity to provide comprehensive care. What is already known on this subject? Root cause analyses of maternal deaths have identified many system-related factors, such as availability of health care providers, adequate training, and motivation to sustain high intensity monitoring (Madzimbamuto et al. 2014; Mahmood et al. 2018). What do the results of this study add? This is the first study to attempt to quantify the contribution of these system-related factors by comparing cases of maternal death with cases of maternal near-miss. We show that the degree of monitoring of patients with life-threatening complications is associated with the odds of mortality independent of the degree of severity. Even though this relation should not be regarded as causative, monitoring of vital signs can be seen as reflective of many system-related factors which hamper or facilitate comprehensive care. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study helps increase general understanding of the factors leading to progression from severe disease to death in a high-volume low-income setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the incidence of severe maternal outcome (SMO), comprising maternal mortality (MM) and maternal near miss (MNM), in Metro East health district, Western Cape Province, South Africa between November 2014 and November 2015 and to identify associated determinants leading to SMO with the aim to improve maternity care. Methods: Region-wide population-based case-control study. Women were included in the study, if they were maternal deaths or met MNM criteria, both as defined by WHO. Characteristics of women with SMO were compared with those of a sample of women without SMO, matched for age and parity, taken from midwifery-led obstetrical units from two residential areas in Metro East, using multivariate regression analysis. Results: Incidence of SMO was 9.1 per 1000 live births, and incidence of MNM was 8.6 per 1000 live births. Main causes of SMO were obstetrical hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders. Factors associated with SMO were HIV (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 24.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.0-61.6), pre-eclampsia (aOR 17.5; 95% CI 7.9-38.7), birth by cesarean section (aOR 8.4; 95% CI 5.8-12.3), and chronic hypertension (aOR 2.4; 95% CI 1.1-5.1). Conclusion: Evaluation of SMO incidence and associated determinants supports optimizing tailored guidelines in Metro-East health district to improve maternal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Every year millions of women around the world suffer from pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum complication. Approximately 810 women die every day worldwide from preventable causes related to pregnancy and delivery. The concept of severe acute maternal morbidity or near miss was aptly developed for the present health-care system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined “near-miss” as a woman, who is close to death, survives a complication that occurred during pregnancy, delivery, or up to 42 days after the termination of her pregnancy. The important causes of maternal mortality and morbidity have been summarized as the three delays. These delays have been identified to understand the gap in access to adequate obstetric management. Delays in access to quality care have been identified as one of the important determinants of preventable maternal death. The present study was planned to assess the “three delay model” leading to the occurrence of severe maternal outcome (SMO) in two tertiary care hospitals of Belagavi, Karnataka, as proposed by the WHO near-miss approach. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to study the “three delay model” leading to maternal morbidity and mortality in two tertiary care hospitals of Belagavi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two major tertiary care hospitals of Belagavi, namely KLE Dr Prabhakar Kore Charitable Hospital and Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital for a duration of 1 year among antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum mothers experiencing SMO. A sample of 200 was calculated based on the prevalence of previous maternal near-miss (MNM) incidence ratio. To assess the MNM cases, “Modified Facility Based MNM Review Form” was used. RESULTS: Out of 200 MNM cases, 145 (72.5%) subjects belonged to the age group of 21–30 years and 17 (8.5%) of the women were aged ≥31 years. The mean ± standard deviation age of the study participant was 25.0 ± 4.45 years. Based on the obstetric profile of the study subject, it was noted that 139 (69.5%) participants had presented to the study hospitals as unbooked cases and 93 (46.5%) were primigravida. Majority (160, 80.0%) of the MNM women had presented as referred cases. The MNM incidence ratio in the present study was recorded as 12.05/1000 live births with a MNM: maternal death ratio of 3.3:1. All types of delays were noted among the study participant in our study. Type I delay that consisted of lack of awareness and resources was seen in 134 (67.0%) MNM cases, followed by 130 (65.0%) experiencing Type II delay comprising logistics delay between home and health-care facility and in between the health facilities along with lack of communication network and the third type of delay being observed at the referring health facility in all the referred study participant. Assessment of association between maternal outcome and the “3 delay model” by use of logistic regression analysis suggested that women who faced any kind of delay (I, II, and III) during their pregnancy were more likely to end up with poor maternal outcomes. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The present study aimed to assess the delays that lead to poor maternal outcomes. The current study revealed the deficiencies that need to be tackled and taken care of on an urgent basis. Hence, there must be a multidisciplinary approach to manage the high-risk maternal cases for timely intervention and management and reduce the burden of maternal morbidity and mortality on a global scale.

Introduction: India is in obstetric transition phase where there is high fertility along with high maternal mortality. To achieve sustainable developmental goals maternal death and maternal near miss data can be valuable in planning priorities and strategies. This study aims at providing some representative data from Punjab. Aims and objectives: To measure the maternal health indicators and the local trends in the important causes leading to severe maternal outcome i.e. maternal death(MD) and maternal near miss cases(MNM), and the differences, if any in these two severe maternal outcome(SMO) cohorts Material and methods: This observational study was conducted in one of the obstetric units of Government Medical College, Amritsar from March, 2015 to July, 2016 which included all pregnant women coming with/developing life threatening complications whose hospitalization course was followed for interventions done, pregnancy outcome and whether or not there was a SMO according to WHO criteria. Statistical analysis: Data collected was analysed statistically using MedCalc® statistical software online. Results: About 15% of our study population had a life threatening condition (WPLTC=413) and 2.8% of them suffered an SMO(81). SMO ratio in our delivered patients was 21.86 per 1000 live births, MMR of 655.97 per 100,000 live births and MNM ratio of 15.3/1000 live births. MNM mortality ratio was 3.13:1 andMI was 34.56%. WPLTC included only 12.38% of total deliveries but accounted for 46.2% of stillbirths. Amongst the WPLTC group also, those who suffered an SMO had a higher chance of stillbirth delivery (OR 1.63) as well as perinatal mortality (OR 1.68). Severe anaemia, placenta previa and multiple pregnancy were risk factors amongst WPLTC that were associated with increased probability of SMO. 73 % of SMOs were due to direct obstetric causes of which obstetric haemorrhage(29.6%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy(25.9%) were the most common. 27% of SMOs were due to indirect causes of which severe anemia was the most prevalent (20.99%) followed by liver diseases(12.34%) and cardiac diseases. Conclusion: 73 % of SMOs were due to direct obstetric causes and 27% were due to indirect causes. Most common underlying pathological condition in NM cases was obstetric hemorrhage followed by indirect causes whereas in MD cases, hypertensive disorders were the most common causes followed by obstetric hemorrhage and indirect causes. The programmatic interventions should focus on enhancing the critical obstetrics infrastructure and human resources. Primary public health services should aim to prevent anaemia and infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the outcomes of adolescent versus adult women during pregnancy and puerperium admitted to a dedicated intensive care unit (ICU) in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we retrieved data from the medical charts of 557 adolescent (<20 years) and adult (≥20 years) women. The association between demographic and clinical variables and the outcomes were compared in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: The maternal severity index (MSI) of adult women was significantly higher than in adolescents. In univariate log‐binomial regression analysis, pneumothorax and circulatory dysfunction were positively associated with the composite primary outcome of death or transfer (for more complex care), whereas eclampsia was negatively associated. Being an adolescent was not associated with this outcome, not even when adjusting for potential confounders. Conversely, being an adolescent was associated with fewer complications (secondary outcome) even after adjusting for potential confounders (type of admission, eclampsia, pre‐eclampsia, surgical site infection, abdominal hemorrhage, drug abuse, metabolic syndrome, malnutrition, pneumothorax, or circulatory dysfunction). Conclusion: In Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, adult women admitted to the ICU because of gestational or birth complications had worse outcomes compared with adolescents. Synopsis: In this cohort, adult women admitted to the intensive care unit for gestational or birth complications had worse outcomes compared with adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Every year millions of women around the world suffer from pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum complication. Approximately 810 women die every day worldwide from preventable causes related to pregnancy and delivery. The concept of severe acute maternal morbidity or near miss was aptly developed for the present health-care system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined "near-miss" as a woman, who is close to death, survives a complication that occurred during pregnancy, delivery, or up to 42 days after the termination of her pregnancy. The important causes of maternal mortality and morbidity have been summarized as the three delays. These delays have been identified to understand the gap in access to adequate obstetric management. Delays in access to quality care have been identified as one of the important determinants of preventable maternal death. The present study was planned to assess the "three delay model" leading to the occurrence of severe maternal outcome (SMO) in two tertiary care hospitals of Belagavi, Karnataka, as proposed by the WHO near-miss approach. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to study the "three delay model" leading to maternal morbidity and mortality in two tertiary care hospitals of Belagavi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two major tertiary care hospitals of Belagavi, namely KLE Dr Prabhakar Kore Charitable Hospital and Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital for a duration of 1 year among antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum mothers experiencing SMO. A sample of 200 was calculated based on the prevalence of previous maternal near-miss (MNM) incidence ratio. To assess the MNM cases, "Modified Facility Based MNM Review Form" was used. RESULTS: Out of 200 MNM cases, 145 (72.5%) subjects belonged to the age group of 21-30 years and 17 (8.5%) of the women were aged =31 years. The mean ± standard deviation age of the study participant was 25.0 ± 4.45 years. Based on the obstetric profile of the study subject, it was noted that 139 (69.5%) participants had presented to the study hospitals as unbooked cases and 93 (46.5%) were primigravida. Majority (160, 80.0%) of the MNM women had presented as referred cases. The MNM incidence ratio in the present study was recorded as 12.05/1000 live births with a MNM: maternal death ratio of 3.3:1. All types of delays were noted among the study participant in our study. Type I delay that consisted of lack of awareness and resources was seen in 134 (67.0%) MNM cases, followed by 130 (65.0%) experiencing Type II delay comprising logistics delay between home and health-care facility and in between the health facilities along with lack of communication network and the third type of delay being observed at the referring health facility in all the referred study participant. Assessment of association between maternal outcome and the "3 delay model" by use of logistic regression analysis suggested that women who faced any kind of delay (I, II, and III) during their pregnancy were more likely to end up with poor maternal outcomes. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The present study aimed to assess the delays that lead to poor maternal outcomes. The current study revealed the deficiencies that need to be tackled and taken care of on an urgent basis. Hence, there must be a multidisciplinary approach to manage the high-risk maternal cases for timely intervention and management and reduce the burden of maternal morbidity and mortality on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Maternal ‘near miss’ can be a proxy for maternal death and it describes women who nearly died due to obstetric complications. It measures life threatening pregnancy related complications and allows the assessment of the quality of obstetric care. Methods A prospective descriptive study was carried out from October 1 2016 to 31 December 2016, using the WHO criteria for maternal ‘near miss’ at the two tertiary public hospitals which receive referrals of all obstetric complications in Harare city, Zimbabwe. The objective was to calculate the ratio of maternal ‘near miss’ and associated factors. All pregnant women who developed life threatening complications classified as maternal near miss using the WHO criteria were recruited and followed up for six weeks from discharge, delivery or termination of pregnancy or up to the time of death. Results During this period there were 11,871 births. One hundred and twenty three (123) women developed severe maternal outcomes, 110 were maternal ‘near miss’ morbidity and 13 were maternal deaths. The maternal ‘near miss’ ratio was 9.3 per 1000 deliveries, the mortality index (MI) was 10.6% and the maternal mortality ratio was 110 per 100,000 deliveries. The major organ dysfunction among cases with severe maternal outcomes (SMO) was cardiovascular dysfunction (76.9%). The major causes of maternal near miss were obstetric haemorrhage (31.8%), hypertensive disorders (28.2%) and complications of miscarriages (20%). The intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate was 7.3 per 100 cases of SMO and 88.8% of maternal deaths occurred without ICU admission. Conclusion The MNM ratio was comparable to that in the region. Obstetric haemorrhage was a leading cause of severe maternal morbidity though with less mortality when compared to hypertensive disorders and abortion complications. Zimbabwe should adopt maternal near miss ratio as an indicator for evaluating its maternal health services.

Background: Maternal near miss refers to a woman who nearly died but survived a complication that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of pregnancy termination. While there has been considerable progress in reducing maternal mortality rates, maternal near miss cases can provide valuable insights into the quality of maternal healthcare and help identify areas for improvement. However, there is limited evidence on the factors contributing to maternal near miss cases, including health system failures, delays in care, and provider-related factors. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the incidence, causes, and factors associated with maternal near misses in public Hospitals of Borena Zone., Methods: A facility-based longitudinal cross-sectional study design was employed at four Public Hospitals in Borena Zone from August 15, 2022, to November 15, 2022, using the WHO criteria for maternal near miss event. In total, 117 participants were included in the study. Eligibility was determined using key clinical, organ dysfunction, laboratory, and management criteria, as per the WHO guidelines for near-miss events. Underlying and contributing causes of maternal near misses were documented from each participant's records., Result: There were 1421 deliveries during the study period and 117 eligible women developed potentially life-threatening conditions. Only 61 women experienced severe maternal outcomes (55 near misses and six maternal deaths). The maternal near miss incidence ratio was 38.7 per 1000 live births, with a mortality index of 9.8%. Hypertensive disorders and obstetric hemorrhage are the leading underlying causes of maternal near misses., Conclusion: The incidence of maternal near miss was remarkably high when compared to previous studies. Giving special emphasis to life-saving interventions, critical care, reducing delays and improving the referral system are critical to improve quality of care., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Objectives: Among women with severe PPH (sPPH) in France and the Netherlands, we compared incidence of adverse maternal outcome (major obstetric hemorrhage (≥2.5L blood loss) and/or hysterectomy and/or mortality) by mode of delivery. Second, we compared use and timing of resuscitation and transfusion management, second-line uterotonics and uterine-sparing interventions (intra-uterine tamponade, compression sutures, vascular ligation, arterial embolization) by mode of delivery., Methods:  Secondary analysis of two population-based studies of women with sPPH in France and the Netherlands. Women were selected by a harmonized definition for sPPH: (total blood loss ≥ 1500 ml) AND (blood transfusion of ≥ 4 units packed red blood cells and/or multicomponent blood transfusion)., Findings: Incidence of adverse maternal outcome after vaginal birth was 793/1002, 9.1 % in the Netherlands versus 88/214, 41.1 % in France and 259/342, 76.2% versus 160/270, 59.3% after cesarean. Hemostatic agents such as fibrinogen were administered less frequently (p < 0.001) in the Netherlands (vaginal birth: 83/1002, 8.3% versus 105/2014, 49.5% in France; cesarean: 47/342, 13.7% and 152/270, 55.6%). Second-line uterotonics were started significantly later after PPH-onset in the Netherlands than France (vaginal birth: 46 versus 25 min; cesarean: 45 versus 18 min). Uterine-sparing interventions were less frequently (p < 0.001) applied in the Netherlands after vaginal birth (394/1002,39.3 %, 134/214, 62.6%) and cesarean (133/342, 38.9 % and 155/270, 57.4%) , all initiated later after onset of refractory PPH in the Netherlands., Interpretation: Incidence of adverse maternal outcome was higher among women with sPPH in the Netherlands than France regardless mode of birth. Possible explanatory mechanisms are earlier and more frequent use of second-line uterotonics and uterine-sparing interventions in France compared to the Netherlands., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Abstract Background Investigating cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and severe maternal outcome (SMO) and the quality of maternal health care using near-miss approach has become popular over recent years. The aim of this study was to determine facility based incidence and the determinants of severe maternal outcome (SMO) using this approach. Methods Prospective cross-sectional study among all mothers who presented to study facility while pregnant, during child birth and/or within 42 days after termination of pregnancy seeking care and found to have SMM and SMO during the study period was carried out. Results There were total of 2737 live births, 202 SMM and 162 SMO (138 maternal near-misses (MNM) and 24 maternal deaths (MD)) cases. The SMO ratio was 59.2 per 1000 live births and the MNM mortality ratio, mortality index (MI) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) were: 5.8:1, 14.8% and 876.9 per 100,000 live births respectively. Close to three-fourth of all women with SMO had evidence of organ dysfunction on arrival or within 12 h of hospitalization. The commonest underlying causes for SMO were uterine rupture 27%, followed by hypertensive disorders 24% and obstetric hemorrhage 24%. The highest case fatality rate was found to be associated with eclampsia 28%. Maternal age, residential area, educational status and occupation were associated with SMO (P

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Despite a significant decrease in maternal mortality in the last decade, Rwanda needs further progress in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)3 which addresses among others maternal mortality. Analysis of severe maternal outcomes (SMO) was performed to identify their characteristics, causes and contributory factors, using standard indicators for quality of care. Methods A prospective case-control study was conducted for which data were collected between November 2015 and April 2016 in four rural district hospitals. The occurrence of SMO with near miss incidence ratios was established, followed by an analysis of the characteristics, clinical outcomes, causes and contributory factors. Results The SMO incidence ratio was 38.4 per 1000 live births (95% CI 33.4–43.4) and the maternal near-miss incidence ratio was 36 per 1000 live births (95% CI 31.1–40.9). The leading causes of SMO were postpartum haemorrhage (23.4%), uterine rupture (22.9%), abortion related complications (16.8%), malaria (13.6%) and hypertensive disorders (8.9%). The case fatality rate was high for women with hypertensive disorders (10.5%; CI 3.3–24.3) and severe postpartum haemorrhage (8%; CI 0.5–15.5). Stillbirth (OR = 181.7; CI 43.5–757.9) and length of stay at the hospital (OR = 7.9; CI 4.5–13.8) were strongly associated with severe outcomes. Conclusions Despite the use of life saving interventions, SMO are frequent. Mortality index was found to be low at the level of district hospitals. SMO were associated with long stay at the hospital and stillbirth. There is a need for improvement of quality of care, referral practices and certain types of infrastructure, especially blood banks, which would ensure truly comprehensive emergency obstetric care and reduce the occurrence of SMO.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of women who were initially managed by intrauterine balloon tamponade or uterine artery embolization because of persistent postpartum hemorrhage demanding an immediate intervention to control bleeding.Material and Methods: Propensity score-matched cohort study including women who had intrauterine balloon tamponade or uterine artery embolization as initial management strategy to control persistent postpartum hemorrhage, that is, refractory to first-line therapy combined with at least one uterotonic agent. The primary outcome measure was a composite of peripartum hysterectomy and/or maternal mortality. Secondary outcomes measures were total volume of blood loss and total number of packed red blood cells transfused.Results: Our 1:1 propensity score-matched cohort comprised of 50 women who had intrauterine balloon tamponade and 50 women who underwent uterine artery embolization at a blood loss between 1000 and 7000 mL. There was no statistically significant difference in the hysterectomy risk between the two groups (n = 6 in each group, odds ratio [OR] 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] .30-3.34), in total volume of blood loss (median 4500 mL, interquartile range [IQR] 3600-5400) for balloon vs 4000 mL (IQR 3250-5000) for embolization, P = 0.382) or in total units of packed red blood cells transfused (median 7 (IQR 5-10) for balloon vs 6 [IQR 4-9] for embolization, P = 0.319). Fifteen women (30%) who were initially managed by an intrauterine balloon still underwent uterine artery embolization, of whom one had an embolization-related thrombo-embolic event. Maternal mortality occurred in neither of the intervention groups.Conclusions: No difference in the risk of peripartum hysterectomy and/or maternal death was observed between women who had intrauterine balloon tamponade and women who underwent uterine artery embolization as an initial management for persistent postpartum hemorrhage. Although this study was underpowered to demonstrate equivalence, our study design provides a framework for future research in which intrauterine balloon tamponade may prove to be a suitable intervention of first choice in the management of persistent postpartum hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstetric hysterectomy is performed as a life-saving intervention in cases of potentially lethal obstetric complications when other medical or surgical conservative treatments fail. Post-partum hysterectomy is also a valuable indicator used to assess and analyze severe maternal complications. Objective: The main outcomes were the prevalence and indications of peripartum hysterectomy. Additionally, we compared the prevalence of peripartum hysterectomy between women giving birth vaginally and by cesarean section, and between women giving birth with and without previous cesarean section. Material and methods: We performed a descriptive, multicentric study among women who underwent peripartum hysterectomy for severe maternal complications. Data were retrospectively collected from six academic maternity units from different Romanian geographic regions. We included hysterectomies performed from 24 gestational weeks up to 42 days postpartum for severe obstetric complications. Results : During the five-year collection interval (1 Jan 2019-31 Dec 2023) a total of 231 post-partum hysterectomies were performed, from a total of 88932 deliveries recorded in six academic maternity units in Romania. The prevalence of post-partum hysterectomy was 26/10000 deliveries (95% CI: 14,41- 38,39). We noted important variations across centers, ranging from 14/10000 to 46/10000 deliveries. No maternal death associated with post-partum hysterectomy was identified in our cohort. The lowest post-partum hysterectomy rate was registered in the center with the lowest cesarean section rate. The primary reasons for hysterectomy were post-partum uterine atony refractory to medical and obstetrical management and placental adhesion pathology, respectively. National databases from several European countries reported a much lower prevalence of post-partum hysterectomy (5,2 per 10000 deliveries, ranging from 2,6 in Denmark to 10,7 in Italy). However, it is difficult to translate our findings from six tertiary centers to the entire landscape of Romanian maternity centers, nationwide. Conclusions: Despite the availability of national guidelines on postpartum hemorrhage, we detected important differences across academic settings in performing peripartum hysterectomy. The frequency of peripartum hysterectomy is likely to increase as a result of the growing number of cesarean deliveries and subsequent associated placental pathology. To better understand the complex relationship between post-partum hysterectomy rate and maternal outcome we became part of a Multicountry prospective case-control population-based study on hysterectomy -a prospective population-based case-control study in 12 countries in Europe and Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Namibia, a middle-income country in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), plans to use the Maternal Near Miss (MNM) approach. Adaptations of the World Health Organization (WHO) MNM defining criteria (‘WHO MNM criteria’) were previously proposed for low-income settings in sub-Saharan Africa (‘SSA MNM criteria’), but whether these adaptations are required in middle-income settings is unknown. Objective: To establish MNM criteria suitable for use in Namibia, a middle-income country in SSA. Methods: Cross-sectional study from 1 March 2018 to 31 May 2018 in four Namibian hospitals. Pregnant women or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy or birth, fulfilling at least one WHO or SSA MNM criterion were included. Records of women identified by either only WHO criteria or only SSA criteria were assessed in detail. Results: 194 Women fulfilled any MNM criterion. WHO criteria identified 61 MNM, the SSA criteria 184 MNM. Of women who only fulfilled any of the unique SSA MNM criteria, 18 fulfilled the criterion ‘eclampsia’, one ‘uterine rupture’ and five ‘laparotomy’. These women were assessed to be MNM. Thresholds for blood transfusion to define MNM due to haemorrhage were two units in the SSA and five in WHO set. Two or three units were given to 95 women for mild/moderate haemorrhage or chronic anaemia who did not fulfil any WHO criterion and were not considered MNM. Fourteen women who were assessed to be MNM from severe haemorrhage received four units. Conclusions: WHO MNM criteria may underestimate and SSA MNM criteria overestimate the prevalence of MNM in a middle-income country such as Namibia, where MNM criteria ‘in between’ may be more appropriate. Namibia opts to apply a modification of the WHO criteria, including eclampsia, uterine rupture, laparotomy and a lower threshold of four units of blood to define MNM. We recommend that other middle-income countries validate our criteria for their setting.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of life-threatening complications related to pregnancies with abortive outcome and the associated health service events and performance in Nigerian public tertiary hospitals.Design: Secondary analysis of a nationwide cross-sectional study.Setting: Forty-two tertiary hospitals.Population: Women admitted for pregnancy-related complications.Methods: All cases of severe maternal outcomes (SMO: maternal near-miss or death) due to abortive pregnancy complications (defined as spontaneous or induced abortion, and ectopic pregnancy) were prospectively identified over 1 year using uniform identification criteria.Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of SMO, mortality index (% maternal death/SMO), case fatality rate, time until death after admission, and health service performance.Results: Of 5779 women admitted with abortive pregnancy complications, 444 (7.9%) experienced an SMO: 366 maternal near-misses and 78 maternal deaths. Intra-hospital maternal mortality ratio from complicated abortive pregnancy outcome was 85/100 000 live births. Case fatality rate was worst for abortion-related infections (19.1%). A quarter of maternal deaths occurred on the same day of admission; however, the peak time of occurrence of death was 3-7 days of admission. Women experiencing cardiovascular, renal or coagulation organ dysfunction were less likely to survive. Higher level of maternal education and closer residence to a health facility improved chance of maternal survival.Conclusions: Abortive outcome remains a major contributor to SMO in Nigeria. Although early hospital presentation by women is critical to surviving abortive pregnancy complications, improved, appropriate, and timely management is essential to enhance maternal survival.Tweetable Abstract: 78 maternal deaths and 366 near-misses occurred from abortions and ectopic pregnancies in 42 Nigerian referral hospitals in 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the burden of maternal near-miss and death due to rupture of the gravid uterus, the indicators of quality of care, and avoidable factors associated with care deficiencies for ruptured uterus in Nigerian tertiary hospitals.Design: Secondary analysis of a nationwide cross-sectional study.Setting: Forty-two tertiary hospitals.Population: Women admitted for pregnancy, childbirth or puerperal complications.Methods: Cases of severe maternal outcome [SMO: maternal near-miss (MNM) or maternal death (MD)] following uterine rupture were prospectively identified over 1 year.Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of SMO, indicators of quality of care, and avoidable factors associated with deficiencies in care.Results: There were 91 724 live births and 3285 women with SMO during the study period. SMO due to uterine rupture occurred in 392 women: 305 MNM and 87 MD. Uterine rupture accounted for 11.9, 13.3, and 8.7% of all SMO, MNM, and MD, respectively. SMO, MNM, and intra-hospital maternal mortality ratios due to uterine rupture were 4.3/1000 live births, 3.3/1000 live births, and 94.8/100 000 live births, respectively. Mortality index (% of MD/SMO) was 22.2%, and MNM:MD ratio was 3.5. Avoidable factors contributing to deaths were related to patient-orientated problems, especially late hospital presentation and lack of insurance to cover life-saving interventions. Medical personnel problems contributed to care deficiencies in one-third of women who died.Conclusion: Uterine rupture significantly contributes to SMO in Nigerian tertiary hospitals. Strategies to improve maternal survival should address avoidable institutional factors and include community-based interventions to encourage skilled attendance at birth and early referral of complications.Tweetable Abstract: Uterine rupture remains an important cause of maternal death in Nigerian tertiary hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare severe maternal outcomes (SMOs) from two multi-centre surveys in Nigerian hospitals, and to evaluate how the SMO burden affects quality of secondary and tertiary hospital care.Design: Two facility-based surveys of women experiencing SMO (maternal near-miss or maternal deaths).Setting: Sixteen secondary and five tertiary facilities in Nigeria [WHO Multi-Country Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health (WHOMCS)] and 42 public tertiary facilities in Nigeria (Nigeria Near-Miss and Maternal Death Survey).Population: 371 women in WHOMCS-Nigeria and 2449 women in Nigeria Near-Miss and Maternal Death Survey who experienced SMO.Methods: Secondary analysis and comparison of SMO data from two surveys, stratified by facility level.Main Outcome Measures: Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) per 100 000 livebirths (LB), maternal near-miss (MNM) ratio per 1000 LB, SMO ratio per 1000 LB and mortality index (deaths/SMO).Results: Maternal mortality ratio and mortality indices were highest in tertiary facilities of the WHOMCS-Nigeria (706 per 100 000; 26.7%) and the Nigeria Near-Miss and Maternal Death Survey (1088 per 100 000; 40.8%), and lower in secondary facilities of the WHOMCS-Nigeria (593 per 100 000; 17.9%). The MNM ratio and SMO ratio were highest in secondary WHOMCS-Nigeria facilities (27.2 per 1000 LB; 33.1 per 1000 LB).Conclusions: Tertiary-level facilities in Nigeria experience unacceptably high maternal mortality rates, but secondary-level facilities had a proportionately higher burden of severe maternal outcomes. Common conditions with a high mortality index (postpartum haemorrhage, eclampsia, and infectious morbidities) should be prioritised for action. Surveillance using SMO indicators can guide quality improvement efforts and assess changes over time.Tweetable Abstract: 2820 Nigerian women with severe maternal outcomes: high mortality in tertiary level hospitals, higher burden in secondary level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the burden and health service events surrounding severe maternal outcomes (SMO) related to life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in Nigerian public tertiary hospitals.Design: Secondary analysis of a nationwide cross-sectional study.Setting: Forty-two tertiary hospitals.Population: Women admitted for pregnancy, childbirth or puerperal complications.Methods: All cases of SMO [maternal near miss (MNM) or maternal death (MD)] due to PPH were prospectively identified using WHO criteria over a 1-year period.Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of SMO, health service events, case fatality rate (CFR) and mortality index (MI: % of death/SMO).Results: Postpartum haemorrhage occurred in 2087 (2.2%) of the 94 835 deliveries recorded during the study period. A total of 354 (0.3%) women had an SMO (103 MD; 251 MNM). It was the most frequent obstetric haemorrhagic complication across hospitals. PPH had the highest maternal mortality ratio (112/100 000 live births) and the recorded MI (29.1%) and CFR (4.9%) were second only to that of ruptured uterus. About 83% of women with SMO were admitted in a critical condition with over 50% being referred. MD was more likely when PPH led to neurological (80.8%), renal (73.5%) or respiratory (58.7%) organ dysfunction. Although the timing of life-saving interventions was not statistically different between the cases of MD and MNM, close to one-quarter of women who died received critical intervention at least 4 hours after diagnosis of life-threatening PPH.Conclusions: Postpartum haemorrhage was a significant contributor to obstetric haemorrhage and SMO in Nigerian hospitals. Emergency obstetric services should be enhanced at the lower levels of healthcare delivery to reduce avoidable deaths from PPH.Funding: The original research that generated the data for this secondary analysis, and the publication of this secondary analysis, was funded by the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), a cosponsored programme executed by the World Health Organization. We have no other funding issue to declare for our study.Tweetable Abstract: One hundred and three maternal deaths and 251 near-misses resulted from PPH in 42 Nigerian tertiary facilities in 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the burden, causes and outcomes of severe non-obstetric maternal complications in Nigerian public tertiary hospitals.Design: Secondary analysis of a nationwide cross-sectional study.Setting: Forty-two tertiary health facilities.Population: Women admitted with complications during pregnancy, childbirth or puerperium.Methods: All cases of severe maternal outcome (SMO: maternal near-miss or maternal death) due to non-obstetric causes were prospectively identified over a 1-year period. Maternal near-miss was defined using organ-system dysfunction (WHO), clinical, or management-based criteria.Main Outcome Measures: Causes and contributions of non-obstetric complications to SMO; fetal and neonatal outcomes; health service events associated with non-obstetric complications; and mortality index (% of maternal death/SMO).Results: Of 100 107 women admitted with complications, 9401 (9.4%) were for non-obstetric causes; and 4.0% (375/9401) suffered severe non-obstetric complications. Of the 375 cases of severe non-obstetric complications, 48.8% (183/375) were near-misses and 51.2% (192/375) were maternal deaths. Severe anaemia unrelated to haemorrhage contributed 61.2% of near-misses and 32.8% of maternal deaths. The highest mortality indices were observed for cancer (91.7%), hepatic diseases (81.8%) and HIV/AIDS/HIV wasting syndrome (80.4%). Fatality was significantly high with extremes of age and no formal education. Regarding organ dysfunctions, neurological (77.1%) and cardiovascular (75.0%) dysfunctions had the highest mortality indices. Perinatal mortality was 65.9%. Time from diagnosis of severe non-obstetric complications to review by senior medical personnel, and to definitive intervention was <30 minutes in 30.2% and 29.8% of women with SMO, respectively. However, over 240 minutes elapsed between diagnosis and definitive intervention in more than one-third of women with SMO.Conclusion: Non-obstetric complications are associated with poorer pregnancy outcomes and deserve attention similar to that accorded obstetric complications.Funding: The original research that generated the data for this secondary analysis and the publication of this secondary analysis were funded by the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), a co-sponsored programme executed by the World Health Organization (WHO).Tweetable Abstract: Non-obstetric causes are important contributors to maternal deaths and life-threatening morbidities in Nigerian hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate life-threatening maternal complications related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Nigerian public tertiary hospitals.Design: Secondary analysis of a nationwide cross-sectional study.Setting: Forty-two tertiary hospitals.Population: Women admitted for pregnancy, childbirth or puerperal complications.Method: All cases of severe maternal outcome (SMO: maternal near-miss or maternal death) due to HDP were prospectively identified using the WHO criteria over a 1-year period.Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of SMO, health service events, case fatality rate, and mortality index (% of maternal death/SMO).Results: Out of 100 107 admissions for maternal complications, 6753 (6.8%) women had HDP. Pre-eclampsia (PE) (54.5%) and eclampsia (E) (30.4%) were the most common HDP recorded. SMO occurred in 587 women with HDP: 298 maternal near-misses and 289 maternal deaths. The majority (93%) of the women with SMO due to HDP were admitted in a critical condition. The median diagnosis-definitive intervention interval was over 4 hours in a quarter of women who died from HDP. For PE and E, case fatality rates were 1.9 and 10.4%, respectively, although both conditions had a similar mortality index of 49.3%. Lack of antenatal care and place of residence further than 5 km from the hospital were associated with maternal death.Conclusions: Severe maternal outcomes from HDP were due to late presentations and health system challenges. To reduce maternal deaths from HDP, health system strengthening that would engender early hospital presentation and prompt treatment is recommended.Funding: The original research that generated the data for this secondary analysis was funded by the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), a co-sponsored programme executed by the World Health Organization (WHO). We have no other funding issue to declare for our study.Tweetable Abstract: Eclampsia is the leading cause of maternal death in Nigerian hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Namibia, a middle-income country in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), plans to use the Maternal Near Miss (MNM) approach. Adaptations of the World Health Organization (WHO) MNM defining criteria ('WHO MNM criteria') were previously proposed for low-income settings in sub-Saharan Africa ('SSA MNM criteria'), but whether these adaptations are required in middle-income settings is unknown. Objective: To establish MNM criteria suitable for use in Namibia, a middle-income country in SSA. Methods: Cross-sectional study from 1 March 2018 to 31 May 2018 in four Namibian hospitals. Pregnant women or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy or birth, fulfilling at least one WHO or SSA MNM criterion were included. Records of women identified by either only WHO criteria or only SSA criteria were assessed in detail. Results: 194 Women fulfilled any MNM criterion. WHO criteria identified 61 MNM, the SSA criteria 184 MNM. Of women who only fulfilled any of the unique SSA MNM criteria, 18 fulfilled the criterion 'eclampsia', one 'uterine rupture' and five 'laparotomy'. These women were assessed to be MNM. Thresholds for blood transfusion to define MNM due to haemorrhage were two units in the SSA and five in WHO set. Two or three units were given to 95 women for mild/moderate haemorrhage or chronic anaemia who did not fulfil any WHO criterion and were not considered MNM. Fourteen women who were assessed to be MNM from severe haemorrhage received four units. Conclusions: WHO MNM criteria may underestimate and SSA MNM criteria overestimate the prevalence of MNM in a middle-income country such as Namibia, where MNM criteria 'in between' may be more appropriate. Namibia opts to apply a modification of the WHO criteria, including eclampsia, uterine rupture, laparotomy and a lower threshold of four units of blood to define MNM. We recommend that other middle-income countries validate our criteria for their setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite a significant decrease in maternal mortality in the last decade, Rwanda needs further progress in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)3 which addresses among others maternal mortality. Analysis of severe maternal outcomes (SMO) was performed to identify their characteristics, causes and contributory factors, using standard indicators for quality of care.Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted for which data were collected between November 2015 and April 2016 in four rural district hospitals. The occurrence of SMO with near miss incidence ratios was established, followed by an analysis of the characteristics, clinical outcomes, causes and contributory factors.Results: The SMO incidence ratio was 38.4 per 1000 live births (95% CI 33.4-43.4) and the maternal near-miss incidence ratio was 36 per 1000 live births (95% CI 31.1-40.9). The leading causes of SMO were postpartum haemorrhage (23.4%), uterine rupture (22.9%), abortion related complications (16.8%), malaria (13.6%) and hypertensive disorders (8.9%). The case fatality rate was high for women with hypertensive disorders (10.5%; CI 3.3-24.3) and severe postpartum haemorrhage (8%; CI 0.5-15.5). Stillbirth (OR = 181.7; CI 43.5-757.9) and length of stay at the hospital (OR = 7.9; CI 4.5-13.8) were strongly associated with severe outcomes.Conclusions: Despite the use of life saving interventions, SMO are frequent. Mortality index was found to be low at the level of district hospitals. SMO were associated with long stay at the hospital and stillbirth. There is a need for improvement of quality of care, referral practices and certain types of infrastructure, especially blood banks, which would ensure truly comprehensive emergency obstetric care and reduce the occurrence of SMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We evaluated birth plans and health insurance enrolment of pregnant women at secondary health care level as a strategy for post-2015 goals. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study at two secondary health facilities in Lagos state, Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data that were analysed and results presented with frequencies. An overall estimate with 95% confidence interval was used at significant p values of less than 0.05. Results: Five hundred and twenty-four women, with a mean age of 3 0±4.1 years, participated. Most women chose hospital delivery (84%) and had plan for transportation (86.3%) during labour. Few women were well prepared for birth (9.7%) and had health insurance (10.1%). Compared with women without insurance, more health-insured women had plans for transport in labour (p = 0.1383) and identified a place of birth (p = 0.2294), but did not have as much plan for someone to accompany them in the case of an emergency (p = 0.3855) and donate blood (p = 0.5065). Few health insured women saved money for delivery (p = 0.7439). Conclusion: Health insured women did not have better birth plans and expanding pregnant women’s access to health insurance may be an insufficient strategy to achieve post MDG 2015 goals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To determine the incidence of, and the demographic and obstetric factors associated with, severe maternal outcome (SMO) among women presenting at healthcare facilities in Pakistan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 healthcare facilities across Pakistan that had been selected for the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn health. The hospital records of women who delivered at a participating facility or were admitted with SMO (defined as maternal death or near miss) within 7 days of delivery/abortion were reviewed for a period of 2–3 months in 2011. The incidence of SMO, its associated demographic and obstetric characteristics, and the influence of various maternal health interventions were assessed. Results Among 13 175 included women, 132 (1.0%) had an SMO (94 [0.7%] near miss and 38 [0.3%] died). The maternal mortality ratio was 299 deaths per 100 000 live births. Major causes of SMO included postpartum hemorrhage (64 [48.5%] women), hypertensive disorders (34 [25.8%]), and ruptured uterus (9 [6.8]). Illiteracy, anemia, and several obstetric complications (e.g. eclampsia) were significant contributors. Conclusion Improving education, nutrition, and uniform implementation of obstetric care protocols are needed for better maternal and neonatal health in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal near-miss (MNM) incidence is the indicator reflecting maternal healthcare services. This study aimed to determine the burden of maternal near-miss and maternal deaths in Sayaboury Province, Lao PDR. Methods: A descriptive study was done in a cohort of 1215 pregnant women, who had their last normal menstrual period (LMP) between 1 August and 31 December, 2010. WHO criteria for MNM were used to identify near-miss cases and maternal deaths during February – November 2011. Data of maternal characteristics, MNM, and maternal deaths were prospectively collected by primary health care workers in the villages under supervision of health staff in local health centers and by the head nurses of the gynecology - obstetric wards in the studied hospitals. Frequencies with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to describe maternal near-misses and maternal deaths. Results: Overall, 92.5% of the 1215 pregnancies were delivered, 7.5% were aborted. Eleven women were identified as near-miss cases, giving a maternal near miss (MNM) ratio of 9.8 (95% CI: 4.9 -17.5)/1,000 live births. With two maternal deaths, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was 178 (95% CI: 50–650)/100,000 live births. Together, these constituted 13 cases of severe maternal outcome (SMO) and given the SMO ratio of 11.6 (95% CI: 6.2 - 19.8)/1,000 live births. Conclusion: The study shows a surprisingly low MNM ratio and MMR in Sayaboury Province, Lao PDR. Generalization of the results is limited by problems in applying standard criteria for the identification of near-misses in the communities and local hospitals. However, the findings are considered to have important implications for the improvement of maternal health services in low resource settings, e.g. to obtain valid and reliable maternal near miss and maternal deaths for the whole country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: WHO MCS in 2011 evaluated the incidence and management strategies linked with maternal and neonatal mortality in facilities across 26 countries including Pakistan. This study, a sub-analysis assessed the availability of essential obstetric and newborn care at referral level facilities of Pakistan that were selected for WHO MCS to correlate it with maternal and neonatal outcomes., Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the infrastructure, equipment and services in 16 referral level government hospitals participating in WHO MCS from 1st March to 30th May, 2011. The association was found between this data and maternal & neonatal outcomes of each facility using chi square test., Results: The studied facilities had basic infrastructure, most components of Essential Maternal and Neonatal Obstetric Care services with part time/full time availability of obstetricians, anaesthetists and paediatricians. Adult intensive care unit was available in 68%, and neonatal intensive care unit was available in half of the facilities. The incidence of severe maternal outcomes had a positive correlation with presence of adult intensive care unit, mechanical ventilator and twenty-four hours (24/7) availability of anaesthesiologist, nurses & paramedics. The neonatal mortality was also higher in facilities with neonatal intensive care unit facility., Conclusions: Most components of Essential Maternal and Neonatal Obstetric Care were present in the studied facilities. Tertiary level facilities even with availability of Adult and neonatal intensive care units had more adverse maternal and new-born outcomes perhaps due to more disease burden.