Profile of women admitted at an obstetric ICU due to non-obstetric causes

To characterize patients admitted during the pregnancy-puerperal cycle for non-obstetric causes in the obstetric intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in northeastern Brazil.

A descriptive study, analyzing the participants from a bidirectional cohort study was conducted between January 2005 and October 2010. A total of 500 patients admitted during the pregnancy-puerperal cycle due to non-obstetric causes in an obstetric ICU in northeastern Brazil were included; cases of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), ectopic pregnancy, death or ICU stay lasting < 24 hours, and lack of signed informed consent form (ICF) were excluded. The biological, sociodemographic, obstetric, and clinical variables were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using Epi-Info 3.5.3.

Of 5,078 obstetric admissions in the service, 500 patients (9.8%) were due to non-obstetric causes. The mean age was 25.9 years, the predominant ethnicity was mixed-race (68.9%), and mean BMI was 27.5. In 79.9% of cases, women had a partner, and schooling over eight years was observed in 49.2%. The main clinical diagnoses seen at ICU admission were heart disease, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), urinary tract infection (UTI), asthma, acute pulmonary edema (APE), and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Central access was used in 10.2% of patients, 11% were on mechanical ventilation, 20.4% received blood transfusions, and 4.0% of the patients died.

Women admitted at the obstetric ICU due to non-obstetric causes represent a significant number of patients in this sector. They are mostly young women, and the main admission diagnoses were cardiovascular, respiratory, and infectious diseases, with a fatality rate of 4%.