Factors associated with maternal death in an intensive care unit

• Published in: Revista Brasileira de terapia intensiva Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 397 - 404
• Main Authors: Saintrain, Suzanne Vieira, Oliveira, Juliana Gomes Ramalho de, Saintrain, Maria Vieira de Lima, Bruno, Zenilda Vieira, Borges, Juliana Lima Nogueira, Daher, Elizabeth De Francesco, Silva, Jr, Geraldo Bezerra da
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira - AMIB 01.10.2016
• Subjects: Acute Kidney Injury - epidemiology; Acute Kidney Injury - mortality; Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Hypotension - epidemiology; Hypotension - mortality; Intensive Care Units; Maternal Death - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Original; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications - mortality; Respiratory Insufficiency - epidemiology; Respiratory Insufficiency - mortality; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0103-507X; 1982-4335
• DOI: 10.5935/0103-507X.20160073

To identify factors associated with maternal death in patients admitted to an intensive care unit. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a maternal intensive care unit. All medical records of patients admitted from January 2012 to December 2014 were reviewed. Pregnant and puerperal women were included; those with diagnoses of hydatidiform mole, ectopic pregnancy, or anembryonic pregnancy were excluded, as were patients admitted for non-obstetrical reasons. Death and hospital discharge were the outcomes subjected to comparative analysis. A total of 373 patients aged 13 to 45 years were included. The causes for admission to the intensive care unit were hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, followed by heart disease, respiratory failure, and sepsis; complications included acute kidney injury (24.1%), hypotension (15.5%), bleeding (10.2%), and sepsis (6.7%). A total of 28 patients died (7.5%). Causes of death were hemorrhagic shock, multiple organ failure, respiratory failure, and sepsis. The independent risk factors associated with death were acute kidney injury (odds ratio [OR] = 6.77), hypotension (OR = 15.08), and respiratory failure (OR = 3.65). The frequency of deaths was low. Acute kidney injury, hypotension, and respiratory insufficiency were independent risk factors for maternal death.