Clinical features and outcomes of obstetric patients in intensive care

• Main Authors: Jose Andres Calvache, Lucía Inés Arroyo, Rodrigo Molina, Adolfo León Tróchez, Federico Benítez, Leidy Yohanna Aguilar, Angela Molano, Giovanny Velásquez
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Cauca 2013-03-01
• Series: Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud
• Subjects: Unidad de cuidados intensivos, pacientes gineco obstetricas, mortalidad materna
• Online Access: http://revistas.unicauca.edu.co/index.php/rfcs/article/view/83
• ISSN: 0124-308X; 2538-9971

Introduction: Obstetric patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) present unique characteristics that require special handling due to the presence of the fetus and pregnancy-specific conditions. The admission rate to ICU of pregnant patients has been estimated at 7 per 1000 patients. Objective: To establish the proportion of admission, clinical characteristics and outcomes of obstetric and gynecological patients admitted to the ICU of the Clínica La Estancia, Popayán during five years of follow up. Methodology: Retrospective cohort study. We included all obstetric and gynecological patients (during pregnancy or postpartum period) admitted to the ICU of the Clínica La Estancia, Popayan, Cauca for 5 years. Demographic, clinical, pregnancy features, ICU admissions and ICU stay data were collected. We also extracted data on mortality and ICU length-of-stay. Results: Seventy-two obstetric and gynecological patients were admitted to ICU in the study period. Admission rate was 25 per 1000 patients (2.5%). Hypertensive disorders accounted for 69.1% of the causes of admission to the unit, followed by infectious disorders (16.1%) and obstetric hemorrhage (14.7%). Only 25% of the population had more than four prenatal visits. 29% of patients required mechanical ventilation and 32.4% red blood cell transfusion. The length-of-stay in ICU was 4 ± 0.8 days and obstetric mortality rate was 4.4% (3 patients). Conclusions: Hypertensive disorders were the leading cause of admission to ICU in obstetric patients. The admission rate of obstetric and gynecological patients found in this ICU is 25 per 1000 and it is according to national and global rates. Overall mortality in this group of patients is 4.4%.