Maternal mortality in a maternal-fetal medicine intensive care unit.

Maternal mortality in a large, tertiary-care, intensive care, referral center was reviewed for a six-year period. The first three years of the review were prior to the institution of a maternal-fetal medicine intensive care unit, located in the labor-and-delivery suite. The subsequent three years encompassed a period during which an intensive care unit staffed by maternal-fetal medicine specialists and obstetric anesthesiologists was established in the labor-and-delivery suite. The maternal mortality rate was 21.7/100,000, or 10 maternal deaths in 45,984 deliveries, prior to establishment of the unit and 22.1/100,000, or 11 maternal deaths in 49,700 deliveries, after establishment of the unit. The major causes of maternal mortality were pregnancy-induced hypertension, hemorrhage and infection. It appears that a multi-disciplinary team composed of maternal-fetal medicine specialists and obstetric anesthesiologists can provide the same level of care for critically ill obstetric patients that traditionally would be provided by medical intensive care specialists.