[Treatment itineraries of women with severe maternal morbidity]

This study aimed to identify the treatment itineraries of Brazilian women with severe maternal morbidity. This was a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study in a university referral hospital for high-risk pregnancy in the interior of São Paulo State, Brazil. The sample included 16 women with severe complications during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum. Data were collected with semi-structured, taped, transcribed interviews subsequently submitted to Content Analysis. The results showed that at the onset of illness, the women take various paths to reach low and high-complexity services, while also relying on neighbor women, pharmacies, and self-medication. They encounter obstacles in the services' receptiveness, continuity of care, case-resolution capacity, and referrals within the healthcare network. Critical points were observed in obstetric care: women are frequently subjected to trekking from one health service to another to obtain care, delays in referrals, and institutional violence. The tertiary hospital was described as receptive and effective. The study identified problems in the entire chain of obstetric care, helping explain how the healthcare system is organized to deal with severe maternal complications.