Retrospective Analysis of Critically ILL Obstetric Cases Admitted to Intensive Care Unit

Objective: Pregnant women, typically young and healthy, may face life-threatening conditions during pregnancy and delivery due to obstetric complications or exacerbation of pre-existing diseases.Some may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission.This study retrospectively examines obstetric patients followed in the ICU to evaluate outcomes. Materials and Methods:This descriptive study involved a retrospective file review of obstetric patients admitted to the ICU between January 2015 and May 2016.Data collected included patient demographics, ICU admission details, diagnoses, comorbidities, and outcomes. Results:Out of 1,223 ICU admissions, 88 (7.19%) were obstetric patients.The maternal age was 30.976.02 years, and the median gestational age was 35 weeks.The most common ICU admission reasons were postpartum haemorrhage (62.5%) and hypertensive disorders (48.9%).The ICU mortality rate was 3.4%.Comorbidities were present in 26.1% of patients, with intracranial pathologies and epilepsy being the most common.Culture positivity was detected in 12.5% of patients, with Candida species being the most frequently isolated microorganism.Culture positivity and additional pathology development were found to be increased in patients who underwent procedures such as intra-arterial catheterization, central venous catheterization, intubation, and chest tube insertion (p<0.05). Conclusion:This study highlights that postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders are the primary causes for ICU admission in obstetric patients, with a relatively low mortality rate of 3.4%.Early intervention and experienced multidisciplinary teams are crucial in improving maternal outcomes in critical cases.