Provision of critical care services for the obstetric population

Management of the peripartum patient is a challenging aspect of critical care that requires consideration of both the physiological changes associated with pregnancy as well as the well-being of the foetus. In the UK, for every maternal death, approximately 118 near-miss events or severe acute maternal morbidities (SAMMs) occur. While a dedicated anaesthetic cover is usually provided on larger labour wards in the UK and US, a close communication with intensive care and other medical specialties must still be maintained. Medical outreach teams and early warning scores may help facilitate the early identification of clinical deterioration and prompt treatment. Ultimately level of care is allocated according to the clinical need, not the location, which may be a designated room, a normal labour room or a recovery area. Specialist obstetric units that provide high-dependency care facilities show lower rates of maternal transfer to critical care units and improved continuity of care before and after labour. The benefits of obstetric high-dependency units (HDUs) are likely to be determined by a number of logistic aspects of the hospital organisation, including hospital size and available resources. There remains a striking contrast in the burden of maternal mortality and morbidity and intensive care unit (ICU) resources between high- and low-income countries. The countries with the highest maternal mortality rates have the lowest number of ICU beds per capita. In under-resourced countries, patients admitted to ICUs tend to have higher illness severity scores, suggesting delayed admission to the ICU. The appropriate training of midwives is essential for successful HDUs located within labour wards.