What's New in Obstetric Anesthesia: a focus on maternal morbidity and mortality.

The Ostheimer lecture is given each year at the annual meeting of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology. It summarizes "What's New in Obstetric Anesthesia" based on a systematic evaluation of the relevant literature published in the previous calendar year. In this review I consider studies published in 2016 focused on the prevalence of, and risk factors for, maternal morbidity and mortality. I also discuss novel therapeutic approaches to the prevention and treatment of major sources of maternal morbidity and mortality.