Fauzia Anbreen, Samina Qadir, Irum Batool, Sadaf Moeed.
Frequency of maternal deaths due to direct obstetrical causes at a teaching hospital.
Gomal J Med Sci Jan ;13(2):131-4.

Background: Majority of pregnant woman at risk of complications especially if not addressed properly, end up at mortality. Maternal mortality is much common in developing countries as compared to developed. Maternal mortality not only affects the family but also affects the community and surviving children. The objective of this study was to identify the leading obstetric causes of maternal deaths at a Teaching Hospital. Material & Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted at Department of Gyne/Obs, DHQ Teaching Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan, from January 2012 to December 2014. Included patients were all those who expired due to direct obstetrical causes during this periods. Those with gynecological and medical comorbidities, and anaesthetic complications were excluded. The demographic variables were age, age groups and residence, and research variable were gravidity, state of pregnancy and cause of death. The categorical data was analyzed by count and percentage while numeric data was analyzed by mean and range. Results: The total obstetric deaths during the study period were 54. The mean age of these patients was 38±2.34 years with a range of 21 years (23-43). Out of these, 31 had hypovolemic shock, 10 had eclampsia, and 8 had ruptured uterus. Conclusion: Hypovolemic shock is the leading cause of maternal death due to direct obstetrical causes, followed by eclampsia and ruptured uterus.

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