The Frequency Of Maternal Near Misses At Benazir Bhutto Hospital- Using The WHO Standard Tool, A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To analyse maternal near-miss frequency and causes on WHO-based tools at a government hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Obstetric and Gynaecology Department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi from January to December 2019. All maternal near-miss cases admitted to the hospital were included in the study. Patients were identified according to the WHO maternal near-miss tool. The number of maternal near-miss cases per 1000 live births occurring during the same year was calculated to determine the incidence of maternal near-miss. Causes of maternal near-miss were also documented. Results: During the study period, 8909 deliveries were recorded. Among these, life-threatening conditions developed in 122 (1.36%) patients out of which near-miss patients were 84 (0.94%). The incidence ratio of near-miss cases was 9.43 / 1000 live births. The major causes of maternal near-miss (MNM) were postpartum haemorrhage n=25 ( 29.7 %), followed by hypertensive disorders n=23 (27.3%). At the same time, sepsis and hypertension were the main reasons for maternal death. Anaemia was an important contributing factor for both maternal outcomes. Conclusion: This study shows that haemorrhage and Hypertension are the main causes of maternal near-miss. Keywords: cross-sectional study, morbidity, post partum haemorrhage.