MATERNAL MORTALITY AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL; A 10-YEAR REVIEW

Abstract

Abstract
Objectives: To determine the burden of maternal deaths and its causes over the last decade at a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.
Methodology: This retrospective study was done at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. Data from July 2010 to June 2020 was reviewed, including demographic information, diagnosis, and causes of maternal deaths.
Results: During the total 10-year duration of study period, a total of 35,660 births were documented, out of which, 32,498 were live births. During the study period, 193 maternal deaths occurred yielding a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 594 / 100,000 live births. These 193 cases were further analyzed. Majority of the women were primigravidas 115 (59.6%), non-booked cases 181 (93.8%), illiterate 187 (96.9%) and belonged to poor socioeconomic background 183 (94.8%). Most common cause of maternal mortality was hypertensive disorders 69 (35.7%) while hemorrhage and pulmonary embolism were some of the other most commonly noted causes of maternal mortality observed in 49 (25.4%) and 20 (10.4%) cases respectively.
Conclusion: Poverty, lack of education, living far from hospital facilities and first pregnancy were the major contributors leading to maternal death. As hypertensive disorders and hemorrhage contributes to majority of maternal deaths, regular antenatal booking, identification of high-risk pregnant population and timely referral to well-equipped hospitals need to be emphasized to save precious maternal lives.