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Maternal deaths in Bloemfontein, South Africa--1986-1992
C A Spies1, R H Bam, H S Cronjé
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein.
Objective:
Determination of the maternal mortality ratio and the main causes of maternal death.
Setting:
Pelonomi Hospital, a tertiary care and referral hospital in Bloemfontein.
Methods:
Review of prospectively completed structured questionnaires on all maternal deaths from 1986 to 1992.
Results:
The maternal mortality ratio at our institution was 171 per 100 000 live births. Haemorrhage (25%), infection (24%) and hypertensive disease (18%) were the most important causes of death. Seventy-one per cent were direct obstetric deaths and 23% indirect; in the remaining 6%, the cause was uncertain. Of all deaths, 35% were considered preventable.
Conclusions:
The maternal mortality ratio has decreased since our previous report for the period 1980-1985, and haemorrhage has replaced infection as the leading cause of death.