Clinical characteristics and mortality of obstetric patients admitted to a tertiary intensive care unit in the Brazilian northeast

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the determinants of hospitalization and death in an intensive care unit (ICU) between pregnant and postpartum women. Materials and Methods: This is a quantitative and retrospective documentary research performed at Dr. César Cals Hospital. Data was collected through the analysis of charts obtained from puerperal or pregnant women admitted to the ICU. Results: Regarding the type of delivery, 41 (73.2%) women had a cesarean section (CS) and, considering the outcome, the majority of the patients (51%) were discharged from the hospital. Comparing the admission diagnosis and the outcome, it was revealed that many patients presented more than one diagnosis at the admission, the highest rate of which was the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and complications comprising of 23 (38.3%) patients out of which 4 of them died. Sepsis was the second cause of hospitalization including 17 (28.3%) patients. In addition, 11 (18.3%) patients had hemorrhaged. Moreover, there were 2 death reports related to fulminant hepatitis. Conclusions: It is expected that the results of the present study contribute to the extension of the professionals’ knowledge on the subject, collaborating to prevent hospitalization and death of these patients.