[Analysis of perinatal mortality and its consequences]

Perinatal mortality at Landesfrauenklinik Salzburg was recorded by annual analysis of 19,533 births for the period between 1972 and 1979. Differentiation of 374 perinatal deaths was undertaken by antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum mortality as well as by weight groups above and below 2500 g. All 129 antepartum deaths were attributable to preclinical situations, since all cases concerned had been pregnancies with attention outside hospital and with stillbirths on first admission. All 45 intrapartum deaths were separately analysed by causes for the purpose of elucidating avoidable cases. Failures due to shortcomings in terms of personnel, equipment, and organisation were discussed for each year. Organisational consequences drawn from such evaluation are reported together with effects. Stepwise target-oriented re-organisation helped to reduce unpurified mortality from 24 to 7.7 per thousand (WHO) in the period under review, while purified perinatal mortality dropped from 12.5 to 1.0 per thousand.