Critical Care Obstetrics part 3 provides expert clinical guidance throughout on how you can maximize the chances of your patient and her baby surviving trauma. In this stimulating text, internationally recognized experts guide you through the most challenging situations you as an obstetrician are likely to face, enabling you to skillfully:Recognize conditions early-on which might prove life threatening, Implement immediate life-saving treatments in emergency situations, Maximize the survival prospects of both the mother and her fetus | Epidemiology of Critical Illness in Pregnancy Table Identified primary causes of mortality in obstetric admissions to ICUs reported in 26 studies 4-6 22-26 28 31 32 35-37 39 40 42-51 . Identified etiology Number Percentage Hypertensive diseases Hypertensive crisis with renal failure HELLP syndrome complications Eclampsia complications Other hypertensive disease complications 36 Pulmonary Pneumonia complications Amniotic fluid embolus Adult respiratory distress syndrome Pulmonary embolus 27 Cardiac Eisenmenger s complex Myocardial infarction Arrhythmia cardiomyopathy Unspecified 16 Hemorrhage 14 Central nervous system hemorrhage Arteriovenous malformation Brain stem hemorrhage Intracranial hemorrhage 10 Infection Sepsis Tuberculosis meningitis 11 Malignancy 8 Hematologic Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura 2 Gastrointestinal Acute fatty liver of pregnancy 1 Poisoning overdose 2 Anesthesia complication 1 Trauma 1 Unspecified 9 Total 138 100 Acknowledgments We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Anthony Vintzileos MD from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Winthrop-University Hospital Mineola NY for critically reviewing the manuscript and offering several comments that improved its contents. We also appreciate the efficient and excellent assistance of Susan Fosbre during the preparation of this manuscript and thank Laura Smulian for critically proofreading the chapter. References 1 World Health Organization. Maternal Mortality A Global Factbook. Geneva World Health Organization 1991. 2 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - MMWR. Maternal mortality - United States 1982-1996. US Department of Health and Human Services 1998 47 705-707. 3 Harmer M. Maternal mortality - is it still relevant Anaesthesia 1997 52 99-100. 4 Mahutte NG Murphy-Kaulbeck L Le Q Solomon J Benjamin A Boyd ME. Obstetrics admissions to the intensive care unit. Obstet Gyneco l 1999 94 263-266. 5 Hazelgrove JF Price C .
