Modified obstetric early warning scoring systems (MOEWS): validating the diagnostic performance for severe sepsis in women with chorioamnionitis

Maternal Sepsis

Sepsis is the second leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality in the United States. Early recognition, treatment, and escalation of care for the obstetric patient affected by sepsis mitigate the risk of mortality and improve patient outcomes. In this article, we provide an overview of maternal sepsis and address topics of maternal pathophysiology, early warning signs, diagnostic criteria, early goal-directed therapy, and contemporary critical care practices. We also present an overview of common etiologies of maternal sepsis and suggested treatment approaches.

Performance Characteristics of Sepsis Screening Tools During Delivery Admissions

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the screening performance characteristics of existing tools for the diagnosis of sepsis during delivery admissions.

METHODS

This was a case-control study using electronic health record data, including vital signs and laboratory results, for all delivery admissions of patients with sepsis from 59 nationally distributed hospitals. Patients with sepsis were matched by gestational age at delivery in a 1:4 ratio with patients without sepsis to create a comparison group. Patients with chorioamnionitis and sepsis were compared with a complete cohort of patients with chorioamnionitis without sepsis. Multiple screening criteria for sepsis were evaluated: the CMQCC (California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative), SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), the MEWC (the Maternal Early Warning Criteria), UKOSS (United Kingdom Obstetric Surveillance System), and the MEWT (Maternal Early Warning Trigger Tool). Sensitivity, false-positive rates, and C-statistics were reported for each screening tool. Analyses were stratified into cohort 1, which excluded patients with chorioamnionitis-endometritis, and cohort 2, which included those patients.

RESULTS

Delivery admissions at 59 hospitals were extracted for patients with sepsis. Cohort 1 comprised 647 patients with sepsis, including 228 with end-organ injury, matched with a control group of 2,588 patients without sepsis. Cohort 2 comprised 14,591 patients with chorioamnionitis-endometritis, of whom 1,049 had sepsis and 238 had end-organ injury. In cohort 1, the CMQCC and the UKOSS pregnancy-adjusted criteria had the lowest false-positive rates (6.9% and 9.6%, respectively) and the highest C-statistics (0.92 and 0.91, respectively). Although other screening criteria, such as SIRS and the MEWC, had similar sensitivities, it was at the cost of much higher false-positive rates (21.3% and 38.3%, respectively). In cohort 2, including all patients with chorioamnionitis-endometritis, the highest C-statistics were again for the CMQCC (0.67) and UKOSS (0.64). All screening tools had high false-positive rates, but the false-positive rates for the CMQCC and UKOSS were substantially lower than those for SIRS and the MEWC.

CONCLUSION

During delivery admissions, the CMQCC and UKOSS pregnancy-adjusted screening criteria have the lowest false-positive results while maintaining greater than 90% sensitivity rates. Performance of all screening tools was degraded in the setting of chorioamnionitis-endometritis.

Antibiotic treatment of women with isolated intrapartum fever vs clinical chorioamnionitis: maternal and neonatal outcomes

BACKGROUND

Clinical chorioamnionitis refers to the presence of maternal fever (≥38°C) and at least 2 clinical signs: (1) maternal tachycardia (>100 bpm), (2) fetal tachycardia (>160 bpm), (3) maternal leukocytosis >15,000/mm2, (4) purulent vaginal discharge, and (5) uterine tenderness. Few data exist to guide the appropriate management of women with isolated intrapartum fever in the absence of other clinical signs suggesting chorioamnionitis.

OBJECTIVE

This study compared maternal and neonatal infectious outcomes and microbiological outcomes between women with isolated intrapartum fever and women with clinical chorioamnionitis.

STUDY DESIGN

This 10-year retrospective study included all the laboring women at our institution, at ≥34 weeks of gestation, with a singleton pregnancy and body temperature of ≥38.0°C, with or without other evidences of infection. According to our department protocol, women with isolated intrapartum fever received intravenous ampicillin, whereas women with clinical chorioamnionitis received intravenous ampicillin plus gentamicin. The primary outcome was puerperal endometritis, compared between women with isolated intrapartum fever (treated with ampicillin) and women with clinical chorioamnionitis (treated with ampicillin plus gentamicin). The secondary maternal outcomes consisted of (1) maternal clinical outcomes, such as cesarean delivery, surgical site infection, postpartum hemorrhage, and postpartum length of stay, and (2) microbiological studies, including positive chorioamniotic membrane swabs and blood culture. Among the secondary neonatal outcomes were early-onset sepsis, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and length of stay. Of note, 2 multivariate logistic regression models were created. A model aimed to predict puerperal endometritis controlled for gestational age of >41 weeks, diabetes mellitus, obesity, positive group B streptococcus status, rupture of membrane ≥18 hours, meconium staining, positive chorioamniotic membrane swabs, cesarean delivery, and empiric postdelivery antibiotic administration. A model aimed to predict neonatal early-onset sepsis controlled for gestational age of 34 to 37 weeks, positive group B streptococcus status, rupture of membrane ≥18 hours, and positive chorioamniotic membrane swabs.

RESULTS

Overall, 458 women met the inclusion criteria. Compared with women with clinical chorioamnionitis (n=231), women with isolated intrapartum fever (n=227) had higher rates of puerperal endometritis (3.9% vs 8.8%; P=.03), early-onset sepsis (0.4% vs 4.4%; P=.005), positive chorioamniotic membrane swabs (46.3% vs 63.9%; P<.001), and ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli (35.5% vs 48.9%; P=.033). The rate of group B streptococcus-positive chorioamniotic membrane swabs was similar between the groups. In a subanalysis of women with negative or unknown group B streptococcus status, the puerperal endometritis and neonatal early-onset sepsis rates were higher among women with isolated intrapartum fever than women with suspected chorioamnionitis (8.7% vs 3.3% [P=.041] and 4.1% vs 0% [P<.001], respectively). In 2 multivariate analysis models, among women with isolated intrapartum fever treated with ampicillin compared with those with clinical chorioamnionitis treated with ampicillin and gentamicin, the odds ratio of antibiotic treatment of endometritis was 2.65 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-6.62; P=.036), and the odds ratio of neonatal early-onset sepsis was 8.33 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-60.60; P=.045).

CONCLUSION

Women with intrapartum fever, with or without other signs of infection, were at increased risk of maternal and neonatal complications. The use of ampicillin as a sole agent in isolated intrapartum fever might promote ampicillin-resistant E coli growth in the chorioamniotic membranes and consequently lead to puerperal endometritis and early-onset sepsis. In this context, a broad-range antibiotic should be considered.

Validating the performance of 3 sepsis screening tools in patients with clinical chorioamnionitis

BACKGROUND

Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal death in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of maternal deaths because of sepsis are related to delayed recognition or treatment. New early warning systems using a 2-step approach have been developed for the early recognition of sepsis in obstetrics; however, their performance has not been validated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the performance of 3 primary screening tools introduced by the Society of Obstetric Medicine Australia and New Zealand and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative for use in the first step of their 2-step early warning systems. The obstetrically modified quick Sequential (sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment score tool, the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome tool, and the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome 1 tool were evaluated for the early detection of sepsis in patients with clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected clinical data at a tertiary care center and an affiliated healthcare system. The electronic health records were searched to identify and verify cases with clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis between November 2017 and September 2022. The flow sheet for every patient was reviewed to determine when criteria were met for any of the 3 tools. The performance of these tools was analyzed using their sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and receiver operating characteristic curve for the identification of sepsis.

RESULTS

There were 545 cases that had the requisite data for inclusion in the analysis. Of note, 11 patients met the criteria for sepsis. Both the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome 1 tools had overall similar test characteristics, which were notably different from the obstetrically modified quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment tool. The screen-positive rate of the obstetrically modified quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment tool (1.5%; 95% confidence interval, 0.6%-2.9%) was lower than that of the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome tool (60.0%; 95% confidence interval, 55.7%-64.1%) and the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome 1 tool (50.0%; 95% confidence interval, 45.8%-54.3%). The sensitivities of the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome tool (100.0%; 95% confidence interval, 71.5%-100.0%) and the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome 1 tool (100.0%; 95% confidence interval, 71.5%-100.0%) were higher than that of the obstetrically modified quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment tool (18.0%; 95% confidence interval, 2.3%-51.8%). All 3 tools had high negative predictive values; however, their positive predictive values were poor.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that all 3 tools had limitations in screening for sepsis among patients with a clinical diagnosis of chorioamnionitis. The obstetrically modified quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment tool missed more than half of the sepsis cases and, thus, had poor performance as a primary screening tool for sepsis. Both the obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and obstetrically modified Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome 1 tools captured all sepsis cases; however, they tended to overdetect sepsis.

Maternal fever in labor: etiologies, consequences, and clinical management

Intrapartum fever is common and presents diagnostic and treatment dilemmas for the clinician. True maternal sepsis is rare; only an estimated 1.4% of women with clinical chorioamnionitis at term develop severe sepsis. However, the combination of inflammation and hyperthermia adversely impacts uterine contractility and, in turn, increases the risk for cesarean delivery and postpartum hemorrhage by 2- to 3-fold. For the neonate, the rates of encephalopathy or the need for therapeutic hypothermia have been reported to be higher with a maternal fever >39°C when compared with a temperature of 38°C to 39°C (1.1 vs 4.4%; P<.01). In a large cohort study, the combination of intrapartum fever and fetal acidosis was particularly detrimental. This suggests that intrapartum fever may lower the threshold for fetal hypoxic brain injury. Because fetal hypoxia is often difficult to predict or prevent, every effort should be made to reduce the risk for intrapartum fever. The duration of exposure to epidural analgesia and the length of labor in unmedicated women remain significant risk factors for intrapartum fever. Therefore, paying careful attention to maintaining labor progress can potentially reduce the rates of intrapartum fever and the risk for cesarean delivery if fever does occur. A recent, double-blind randomized trial of nulliparas at >36 weeks' gestation demonstrated that a high-dose oxytocin regimen (6×6 mU/min) when compared with a low-dose oxytocin regimen (2×2 mU/min) led to clinically meaningful reductions in the rate of intrapartum fever (10.4% vs 15.6%; risk rate, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.92). When fever does occur, antibiotic treatment should be initiated promptly; acetaminophen may not be effective in reducing the maternal temperature. There is no evidence that reducing the duration of fetal exposure to intrapartum fever prevents known adverse neonatal outcomes. Therefore, intrapartum fever is not an indication for cesarean delivery to interrupt labor with the purpose of improving neonatal outcome. Finally, clinicians should be ready for the increased risk for postpartum hemorrhage and have uterotonic agents on hand at delivery to prevent delays in treatment.

Development of the Sepsis-Associated Adverse Outcomes in Pregnancy Score

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a scoring system-called the Sepsis-Associated Adverse Outcomes in Pregnancy (SAAP) Score-to identify individuals with maternal infection that have composite maternal adverse outcomes (CMAO).

STUDY DESIGN

Using the International Classification of Disease codes, we identified pregnant and postpartum (up to 6 weeks after birth) individuals admitted at our center with a primary diagnosis of infection. The primary outcome was CMAO which included any of the following: maternal intensive care unit admission, surgical intervention, vasopressor use, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary edema, mechanical ventilation, high-flow nasal cannula, disseminated intravascular coagulation, dialysis, organ failure, venous thromboembolism, or maternal death. Regularized logistic regression was used to identify variables that best discriminate CMAO status. Variables were chosen for inclusion following evaluation of statistical and clinical significance. Model performance was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values.

RESULTS

Of the 23,235 deliveries during the study period, 227 (0.9%) individuals met inclusion criteria and among them CMAO occurred in 39.2% (95% CI: 33.1-45.7%). The SAAP score consisted of six variables (white blood cell count, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, lactic acid, and abnormal diagnostic imaging) with scores ranging from 0 to 11 and a score of ≥7 being abnormal. An abnormal SAAP score had an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.74-0.86) for CMAO. The sensitivity and specificity of the SAAP score for CMAO was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.60-0.80) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64-0.80), respectively. The positive predictive value was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.52-0.72) and negative predictive value was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71-0.86).

CONCLUSION

Pending external validation, the sixth variable SAAP score may permit early recognition of pregnant and postpartum individuals with infection who are likely to develop adverse maternal outcomes.

KEY POINTS

· Sepsis is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality.. · Early recognition improves maternal sepsis outcomes.. · The SAAP score may permit early recognition of maternal adverse outcomes due to infection..

Obstetric Sepsis: A Review Article

Introduction

The World Health Organization defines obstetric (maternal) sepsis as organ failure caused by infection during pregnancy, childbirth, post-abortion or postpartum period. It is the third most prevalent reason for maternal death. According to statistics, sepsis caused 11 percent of maternal fatalities worldwide.

Discussion

Physiological changes related to pregnancy may imitate the start of sepsis, which makes definitive diagnosis difficult. The definition of sepsis is gradually amended over decades. Various diagnostic tools and criteria are available.

Conclusion

Prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate management can reduce sepsis related maternal mortalities and morbidities. To reduce unnecessary maternal mortality, future policy development in the area of evaluation and care of obstetric sepsis is essential.

Management of maternal pulse and blood pressure abnormalities during labour and childbirth: evidence-based algorithms for intrapartum care decision support

AIMS

To develop evidence-based clinical algorithms for assessment and management of abnormal maternal pulse and blood pressure during the intrapartum period.

POPULATION

Low risk singleton, term, pregnant women in labour.

SETTING

Institutional births in low- and middle-income countries.

SEARCH STRATEGY

A review of the literature was performed to retrieve evidence-based guidelines, systematic reviews, and papers on maternal pulse and blood pressure during labour. We searched a number of international clinical guidelines and PubMed using the corresponding key terms in November 2018 and updated the search in May 2020.

CASE SCENARIOS

Four common intrapartum case scenarios of abnormal pulse and blood pressure were identified for which algorithms were developed: hypertension, hypotension, tachycardia and bradycardia. Algorithms were constructed after reviewing guidelines and relevant papers, with input from a panel of experts. Thresholds for upper and lower limits of normal maternal pulse and blood pressure measurements are defined, evidence-based interventions for the initial management of abnormal parameters are described (resuscitation and monitoring) and guidance is provided on exploration of the potential causes for each case scenario, with links to pathways for their management.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence-based algorithms to support the identification, and management of deviations in pulse and blood pressure during intrapartum care have been developed for hypertension, hypotension, tachycardia and bradycardia. The algorithms focus on initial resuscitation and monitoring, with an exploration of causes and early identification of underlying maternal conditions. These algorithms will help provide a standardised approach to investigation and management of these abnormal parameters to guide clinical practice.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Algorithms for abnormal maternal pulse and blood pressure during labour allow standardised approach to early identification and management of complications.

Comparison of early warning scores for predicting clinical deterioration and infection in obstetric patients

BACKGROUND

Early warning scores are designed to identify hospitalized patients who are at high risk of clinical deterioration. Although many general scores have been developed for the medical-surgical wards, specific scores have also been developed for obstetric patients due to differences in normal vital sign ranges and potential complications in this unique population. The comparative performance of general and obstetric early warning scores for predicting deterioration and infection on the maternal wards is not known.

METHODS

This was an observational cohort study at the University of Chicago that included patients hospitalized on obstetric wards from November 2008 to December 2018. Obstetric scores (modified early obstetric warning system (MEOWS), maternal early warning criteria (MEWC), and maternal early warning trigger (MEWT)), paper-based general scores (Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and National Early Warning Score (NEWS), and a general score developed using machine learning (electronic Cardiac Arrest Risk Triage (eCART) score) were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic score (AUC) for predicting ward to intensive care unit (ICU) transfer and/or death and new infection.

RESULTS

A total of 19,611 patients were included, with 43 (0.2%) experiencing deterioration (ICU transfer and/or death) and 88 (0.4%) experiencing an infection. eCART had the highest discrimination for deterioration (p < 0.05 for all comparisons), with an AUC of 0.86, followed by MEOWS (0.74), NEWS (0.72), MEWC (0.71), MEWS (0.70), and MEWT (0.65). MEWC, MEWT, and MEOWS had higher accuracy than MEWS and NEWS but lower accuracy than eCART at specific cut-off thresholds. For predicting infection, eCART (AUC 0.77) had the highest discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limitations of our retrospective study, eCART had the highest accuracy for predicting deterioration and infection in our ante- and postpartum patient population. Maternal early warning scores were more accurate than MEWS and NEWS. While institutional choice of an early warning system is complex, our results have important implications for the risk stratification of maternal ward patients, especially since the low prevalence of events means that small improvements in accuracy can lead to large decreases in false alarms.

Implementation and evaluation of obstetric early warning systems in tertiary care hospitals in Nigeria

Obstetric Early Warning Systems (EWS) use combined clinical observations to predict increased risk of deterioration and alert health workers to institute actions likely to improve outcomes. The objective of this study was to explore the experience of health workers about the implementation of an obstetric EWS and assess its effectiveness as an alternative clinical monitoring method compared to standard practice. This mixed-method study included obstetric admissions (n = 2400) to inpatient wards between 01/08/2018 and 31/03/2019 at three Nigerian tertiary hospitals (1 intervention and two control). Outcomes assessed were the efficiency of monitoring and recording vital signs using the patient monitoring index and speed of post-EWS trigger specialist review. These were evaluated through a review of case notes before and four months after EWS was introduced. Qualitative data was collected to explore healthcare workers' views on EWS' acceptability and usability. EWS was correctly used in 51% (n = 307) of the women in the intervention site. Of these women, 58.6% (n = 180) were predicted to have an increased risk of deterioration, and 38.9% (n = 70) were reviewed within 1 hour. There was a significant improvement in the frequency of vital signs recording in the intervention site: observed/expected frequency improved to 0.91 from 0.57, p<0.005, but not in the control sites. Health workers reported that the EWS helped them cope with work demands while making it easier to detect and manage deteriorating patients. Nurses and doctors reported that the EWS was easy to use and that scores consistently correlated with the clinical picture of patients. Identified challenges included rotation of clinical staff, low staffing numbers and reduced availability of monitoring equipment. The implementation of EWS improved the frequency of patient monitoring, but a larger study will be required to explore the effect on health outcomes. The EWS is a feasible and acceptable tool in low-resource settings with implementation modifications. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN15568048. Registration date; 9/09/2020- Retrospectively registered, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15568048.

The Distinct Immune Nature of the Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome Type I and Type II

Fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) is strongly associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality and can be classified as type I or type II. Clinically, FIRS type I and type II are considered as distinct syndromes, yet the molecular underpinnings of these fetal inflammatory responses are not well understood because of their low prevalence and the difficulty of postdelivery diagnosis. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing of human cord blood samples from preterm neonates diagnosed with FIRS type I or FIRS type II. We found that FIRS type I was characterized by an upregulation of host immune responses, including neutrophil and monocyte functions, together with a proinflammatory cytokine storm and a downregulation of T cell processes. In contrast, FIRS type II comprised a mild chronic inflammatory response involving perturbation of HLA transcripts, suggestive of fetal semiallograft rejection. Integrating single-cell RNA sequencing-derived signatures with bulk transcriptomic data confirmed that FIRS type I immune responses were mainly driven by monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils. Last, tissue- and cell-specific signatures derived from the BioGPS Gene Atlas further corroborated the role of myeloid cells originating from the bone marrow in FIRS type I. Collectively, these data provide evidence that FIRS type I and FIRS type II are driven by distinct immune mechanisms; whereas the former involves the innate limb of immunity consistent with host defense, the latter resembles a process of semiallograft rejection. These findings shed light on the fetal immune responses caused by infection or alloreactivity that can lead to deleterious consequences in neonatal life.

Sepsis scoring systems and use of the Sepsis six care bundle in maternity hospitals

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the predictive power of three different Sepsis Scoring Systems (SSSs), namely maternity Systematic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (mSIRS), quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and Modified Early Warning System (MEWS) in identifying sepsis by comparing them with positive culture. This study also sought to evaluate compliance with using the Sepsis Six Care Bundle (SSCB) operated in an individual health board.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 3 maternity hospitals of a single Scottish health board that admitted 2690 pregnancies in a 12 weeks period in 2016. Data for study was obtained from medical notes, handheld and electronic health records for women who were prescribed antibiotics with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of sepsis. Data on clinical parameters was used to classify women according to mSIRS, qSOFA and MEWS as having sepsis or not and this was compared to results of positive culture to obtain sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) along with their 95% confidence intervals. Data was also obtained on SSCB compliance.

RESULTS

A total of 89 women were diagnosed with sepsis, of which 14 had missing data, leaving 75 for final analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and AUROC of mSIRS and MEWS were almost similar with AUROC of both being around 50%. Only 33 (37.1%) had identifiable sepsis six sticker displayed on medical notes and only 2 (2.2%) had all elements of SSCB delivered within the recommended one-hour post-diagnosis period. Blood culture and full blood count with other lab tests had been performed for most women (97%) followed by intravenous antibiotics and fluids (93.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

mSIRS and MEWS were quite similar in detecting sepsis when compared to positive culture, with their ability to detect sepsis being close to chance. This underlines the need for creating a valid SSS with high sensitivity and specificity for clinical use in obstetric settings. Clinical use of SSCB was limited despite it being a health board policy, although there is considerable possibility of improvement following detailed audits and removal of barriers for implementing SSCB.

Availability of facility resources and services and infection-related maternal outcomes in the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. The Global Maternal Sepsis and Neonatal Initiative, launched in 2016 by WHO and partners, sought to reduce the burden of maternal infections and sepsis and was the basis upon which the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS) was implemented in 2017. In this Article, we aimed to describe the availability of facility resources and services and to analyse their association with maternal outcomes.

METHODS

GLOSS was a facility-based, prospective, 1-week inception cohort study implemented in 713 health-care facilities in 52 countries and included 2850 hospitalised pregnant or recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infections. All women admitted for or in hospital with suspected or confirmed infections during pregnancy, childbirth, post partum, or post abortion at any of the participating facilities between Nov 28 and Dec 4 were eligible for inclusion. In this study, we included all GLOSS participating facilities that collected facility-level data (446 of 713 facilities). We used data obtained from individual forms completed for each enrolled woman and their newborn babies by trained researchers who checked the medical records and from facility forms completed by hospital administrators for each participating facility. We described facilities according to country income level, compliance with providing core clinical interventions and services according to women's needs and reported availability, and severity of infection-related maternal outcomes. We used a logistic multilevel mixed model for assessing the association between facility characteristics and infection-related maternal outcomes.

FINDINGS

We included 446 facilities from 46 countries that enrolled 2560 women. We found a high availability of most services and resources needed for obstetric care and infection prevention. We found increased odds for severe maternal outcomes among women enrolled during the post-partum or post-abortion period from facilities located in low-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 1·84 [95% CI 1·05-3·22]) and among women enrolled during pregnancy or childbirth from non-urban facilities (adjusted odds ratio 2·44 [1·02-5·85]). Despite compliance being high overall, it was low with regards to measuring respiratory rate (85 [24%] of 355 facilities) and measuring pulse oximetry (184 [57%] of 325 facilities).

INTERPRETATION

While health-care facilities caring for pregnant and recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infections have access to a wide range of resources and interventions, worse maternal outcomes are seen among recently pregnant women located in low-income countries than among those in higher-income countries; this trend is similar for pregnant women. Compliance with cost-effective clinical practices and timely care of women with particular individual characteristics can potentially improve infection-related maternal outcomes.

FUNDING

UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, WHO, Merck for Mothers, and US Agency for International Development.

Top 10 Pearls for the Recognition, Evaluation, and Management of Maternal Sepsis

Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of preventable maternal mortality that requires early recognition, expedient evaluation, and appropriate management.

Maternal sepsis is an obstetric emergency and a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Early recognition in a pregnant or postpartum patient can be a challenge as the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy may mask the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Bedside assessment tools may aid in the detection of maternal sepsis. Timely and targeted antibiotic therapy and fluid resuscitation are critical for survival in patients with suspected sepsis. Once diagnosed, a search for etiologies and early application of source control measures will further reduce harms. If the patient is in septic shock or not responding to initial treatment, multidisciplinary consultation and escalation of care is necessary. Health care professionals should be aware of the unique complications of sepsis in critically ill pregnant and postpartum patients, and measures to prevent poor outcomes in this population. Adverse pregnancy outcomes may occur in association with sepsis, and should be anticipated and prevented when possible, or managed appropriately when they occur. Using a standardized approach to the patient with suspected sepsis may reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

Implementation of a maternal early warning system during early postpartum. A prospective observational study

Objective

To evaluate the implementation of a maternal early warning system (MEWS) for monitoring patients during the first two hours after delivery in a tertiary level hospital.

Methods

Implementation of the criteria between 15 March and 15 September 2018 was evaluated in 1166 patients. The parameters collected were systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, urine output, uterine involution, and bleeding. Out-of-range values of any of these parameters triggered a warning, and an obstetrician was called to examine the patient. The obstetrician then decided whether to call the anesthesiologist. We carried out a sensitivity-specificity study of triggers and a multivariate analysis of the factors involved in developing potentially fatal disorders (PFD), reintervention, critical care admission, and stay.

Results

The MEWS was triggered in 75 patients (6.43%). Leading trigger was altered systolic blood pressure in 32 patients (42.7%), and 11 patients had a PFD. Twenty-eight triggers were false-negatives. Sensitivity and specificity of the system was 0.28 (0.15, 0.45) and 0.94 (0.93, 0.96), respectively. The multivariate analysis showed a correlation between trigger activation and PFD.

Conclusion

Our MEWS presented low sensitivity and high specificity, with a significant number of false-negatives.

Obstetric early warning system to predict maternal morbidity of pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage and infection after birth in high-risk women: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of early warning systems is to detect deterioration of the patient and to enable timely intervention to prevent possible severe illness. The most common causes of maternal morbidity and mortality after birth are worsening pre-eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage and puerperal infection. Our aim was to validate the accuracy of the obstetric early warning system and different physiological triggers to predict morbidity on the postnatal ward in high-risk women.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study.

SETTING

A tertiary referral hospital in Finland.

PARTICIPANTS

High-risk women (n=828) (body mass index > 35 kg/m², postpartum haemorrhage > 1,500 g, pre-eclampsia, chorioamnionitis during birth, type 1 diabetes or anxiety over the maternal condition based on clinical judgement) were studied on the postnatal ward in the first 24 hours after giving birth. In this study population the women without any morbidity served as a control group. The study was conducted between 1.11.2016 - 30.4. 2018 covering a period of 18 months.

MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS

The accuracy of the obstetric early warning system and its five physiological parameters-respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature-and a pain score to predict worsening pre-eclampsia, complications related to postpartum haemorrhage and puerperal infection were determined. A red trigger is as a single, markedly abnormal observation, and a yellow trigger is a combination of two mildly abnormal observations. The sensitivity of obstetric early warning system at its best was 72% for pre-eclampsia, 52% for infection and 25% for postpartum haemorrhage. The red triggers were significantly associated with morbidity in each outcome studied. The red triggers of systolic blood pressure (OR 25.7, 95% CI 13.2-50.1) and diastolic blood pressure (OR 22.1, 95% CI 11.3-43.0) were independently associated with pre-eclampsia, systolic blood pressure (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.4-5.6) and heart rate (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.7-7.6) with postpartum haemorrhage and heart rate (OR 3.3, 1.0-10.3) with infection.

KEYCONCLUSIONS

The sensitivity of obstetric early warning system varied depending on the type of morbidity. The highest sensitivity and positive predictive value were in pre-eclampsia. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were the strongest physiological parameters to predict morbidity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The systematic use of obstetric early warning system helps to improve maternal safety after birth in high-risk women. Blood pressure and pulse are the most important measurements.

Current Key Challenges in Managing Maternal Sepsis

Sepsis resulting from maternal infection is the second leading cause of pregnancy-related death. Although screening and initial care of a septic nonpregnant patient is standardized in nonpregnant adults, many challenges exist for early recognition and management of sepsis and septic shock in the obstetric population. Because most sepsis research excludes pregnant patients, there are many challenges that contribute to a lack of standardized approach to maternal sepsis. These challenges include inconsistent early warning sign criteria, lack of validated screening tools, adaptation of bundle components for maternal physiology, delivery considerations, and knowing when to transfer the patient to a higher level of care. To overcome these challenges, reduce variation in care, and improve patient outcomes, it is important for clinicians to plan, practice, and implement a maternal sepsis bundle.

Escalation triggers and expected responses in obstetric early warning systems used in UK consultant-led maternity units

Background

The use of obstetric early warning systems (OEWS) are recommended as an adjunct to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this review was to document the variation in OEWS trigger thresholds and the quality of information included within accompanying escalation protocols.

Methods

A review of OEWS charts and escalation policies across consultant-led maternity units in the UK (n = 147) was conducted. OEWS charts were analysed for variation in the values of physiological parameters triggering different levels of clinical escalation. Relevant data within the escalation protocols were also searched for: urgency of clinical response; seniority of responder; frequency of on-going clinical monitoring; and clinical setting recommended for on-going care.

Results

The values of physiological parameters triggering specific clinical responses varied significantly between OEWS. Only 99 OEWS charts (67.3%) had an escalation protocol as part of the chart. For 29 charts (19.7%), the only escalation information included was generic, for example to “contact a doctor if triggers”. Only 76 (51.7%) charts detailed the required seniority of responder, 37 (25.2%) the frequency for on-going clinical monitoring, eight (5.4%) the urgency of clinical response and two (1.4%) the recommended clinical setting for on-going care.

Conclusion

The observed variations in the trigger thresholds used in OEWS charts and the quality of information included within the accompanying escalation protocols is likely to lead to suboptimal detection and response to clinical deterioration during pregnancy and the post-partum period. The development of a national OEWS and escalation protocol would help to standardise care across obstetric units.

An Observational Cohort Study Evaluating Antimicrobial Use in Peripartum Sepsis: A Tendency towards Overdiagnosis?

(1) Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of maternal death in 11–15% of women worldwide. This emphasises the importance of administrating timely and appropriate antibiotic therapy to women with sepsis. We aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in women diagnosed with peripartum sepsis. (2) Method: A prospective observational cohort study in a single Scottish health region with 12,233 annual live births. Data were collected on women diagnosed with sepsis in the peripartum period using physical and electronic medical records, drug Kardex^® (medication administration) and ward handover records. (3) Results: A sepsis diagnosis was concluded in 89 of the 2690 pregnancy cases reviewed, with a median hospital stay of four days. Good overall adherence to the local guidelines for the empiric antimicrobial treatment of sepsis was observed. Group B Streptococcus was associated with 20.8% of maternal sepsis cases, whilst in 60% of clinical specimens tested no causative pathogen was isolated. (4) Conclusion: The lack of specific and sensitive clinical markers for sepsis, coupled with their inconsistent clinical application to inform diagnosis, hindered effective antimicrobial stewardship. This was further exacerbated by the lack of positive culture isolates from clinical specimens, which meant that patients were often continued on broader-spectrum empiric treatment.

A global perspective on management of bacterial infections in pregnancy: a systematic review of international guidelines

INTRODUCTION

Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal mortality. Despite the availability of management protocols, there is disparity in case fatality rates for pregnancy-related sepsis compared to other maternity-related complications. The main aim of this systematic review was to assess concordance between international evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and management of childbirth-related bacterial infections.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The PRISMA statement was followed during the conduct and reporting of this review. PubMed was searched electronically from 2009 to November 2019 for clinical guidelines covering the topic of childbirth-related infections and specific searches for relevant guidelines on the websites of the top five international professional bodies most commonly identified by our searches. We did not apply any language restrictions. Guidelines were included if they provided any information about the prevention or management of childbirth-related bacterial infections irrespective of whether the guideline stated a recommendation or not. Two independent reviewers undertook study selection, decisions about inclusion of selected guidelines and data extraction. Extracted information was synthesized under the following topics: Asymptomatic bacteriuria; group B streptococcal infection (GBS); preterm premature rupture of membranes (P-PROM); intrauterine infection; procedures; maternal sepsis; miscellaneous. Concordance was defined as absence of contradictory information between the different guidelines with regards to a specific topic, subtopic or recommendation. Quality of included guidelines was assessed against the AGREE II guideline reporting domains.

RESULTS

A total of 43 guidelines were selected of which 11 were excluded leaving 32 guidelines that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. None of the guidelines fulfilled all the quality assessment domains and 11 (34%) of the guidelines satisfied 1-2 of domains only. Two guidelines covered the topic of asymptomatic bacteriuria, nine for GBS, five for P-PROM and three covered each of intra-amniotic infections maternal sepsis, obstetric procedures and interventions topics. The remaining guidelines covered miscellaneous topics.

CONCLUSIONS

There was concordance between guidelines with regards to several aspects in the prophylaxis and treatment of bacteriological infections in pregnancy. Nevertheless, there were several areas of discordance, some of which reached the extent of contradictory information as in the case of antenatal screening for GBS.

Development and validation of an obstetric early warning system model for use in low resource settings

BACKGROUND

The use of obstetric early-warning-systems (EWS) has been recommended to improve timely recognition, management and early referral of women who have or are developing a critical illness. Development of such prediction models should involve a statistical combination of predictor clinical observations into a multivariable model which should be validated. No obstetric EWS has been developed and validated for low resource settings. We report on the development and validation of a simple prediction model for obstetric morbidity and mortality in resource-limited settings.

METHODS

We performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis using a retrospective case-control analysis of secondary data with clinical indices predictive of severe maternal outcome (SMO). Cases for design and validation were randomly selected (n = 500) from 4360 women diagnosed with SMO in 42 Nigerian tertiary-hospitals between June 2012 and mid-August 2013. Controls were 1000 obstetric admissions without SMO diagnosis. We used clinical observations collected within 24 h of SMO occurrence for cases, and normal births for controls. We created a combined dataset with two controls per case, split randomly into development (n = 600) and validation (n = 900) datasets. We assessed the model's validity using sensitivity and specificity measures and its overall performance in predicting SMO using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. We then fitted the final developmental model on the validation dataset and assessed its performance. Using the reference range proposed in the United Kingdom Confidential-Enquiry-into-Maternal-and-Child-Health 2007-report, we converted the model into a simple score-based obstetric EWS algorithm.

RESULTS

The final developmental model comprised abnormal systolic blood pressure-(SBP > 140 mmHg or < 90 mmHg), high diastolic blood pressure-(DBP > 90 mmHg), respiratory rate-(RR > 40/min), temperature-(> 38 °C), pulse rate-(PR > 120/min), caesarean-birth, and the number of previous caesarean-births. The model was 86% (95% CI 81-90) sensitive and 92%- (95% CI 89-94) specific in predicting SMO with area under ROC of 92% (95% CI 90-95%). All parameters were significant in the validation model except DBP. The model maintained good discriminatory power in the validation (n = 900) dataset (AUC 92, 95% CI 88-94%) and had good screening characteristics. Low urine output (300mls/24 h) and conscious level (prolonged unconsciousness-GCS < 8/15) were strong predictors of SMO in the univariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated statistical models that performed well in predicting SMO using data from a low resource settings. Based on these, we proposed a simple score based obstetric EWS algorithm with RR, temperature, systolic BP, pulse rate, consciousness level, urinary output and mode of birth that has a potential for clinical use in low-resource settings..

Maternal sepsis

Maternal sepsis is "a life-threatening condition defined as an organ dysfunction caused by an infection during pregnancy, delivery, puerperium, or after an abortion," with the potential to save millions of lives if a proper approximation is made. Undetected or poorly managed maternal infections can lead to sepsis, death, or disability for the mother, and an increased likelihood of early neonatal infection and other adverse outcomes. Physiological, immunologic, and mechanical changes that occur in pregnancy make pregnant women more susceptible to infections than nonpregnant women and may obscure signs and symptoms of infection and sepsis, resulting in a delay in the recognition and treatment of sepsis. Prioritization of the creation and validation of tools that allow the development of clear and standardized diagnostic criteria of maternal sepsis and septic shock, according to the changes inherent to pregnancy, correspond to highly effective strategies to reduce the impact of these conditions on maternal health worldwide. After an adequate diagnostic approach, the next goal is achieving stabilization, trying to stop the progression from sepsis to septic shock, and improving tissue perfusion to limit cell dysfunction. Management protocol implementation during the first hour of treatment will be the most important determinant for the reduction of maternal mortality associated with sepsis and septic shock.

National Partnership for Maternal Safety Recommended Maternal Early Warning Criteria Are Associated With Maternal Morbidity

BACKGROUND

Many cases of maternal mortality and morbidity are preventable. A delayed response to clinical warning signs contributes to preventability. Therefore, the National Partnership for Maternal Safety devised maternal early warning criteria (MEWC), composed of abnormal vital signs that trigger bedside evaluation by a provider with the capacity to escalate care. The relationship of the MEWC to maternal morbidity has not been studied. We evaluated the correlation between the MEWC and maternal morbidity.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the first 400 deliveries at the University of Chicago in 2016. We analyzed the electronic medical record to determine whether vital signs triggered the MEWC during the admission to labor and delivery and whether patients experienced morbidity during their delivery hospitalization. The association between MEWC and morbidity was tested using χ analysis. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the MEWC.

RESULTS

Two hundred eighty-one (70%) of 400 patients triggered the MEWC at least once, and 198 (50%) of 400 patients had multiple or recurrent triggers. Ninety-nine (25%) of 400 patients experienced morbidity. The most common causes of morbidity were hemorrhage, suspected infection, and preeclampsia with severe features. The relative risk of maternal morbidity with at least a single trigger was 13.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.38-41.91) and with recurrent or multiple triggers was 5.29 (95% CI, 3.22-8.71). The sensitivity of the MEWC in predicting morbidity was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.92-0.99) and the specificity was 0.39 (95% CI, 0.33-0.44) when patients with at least a single trigger were included. When including only patients with multiple or recurrent triggers, the sensitivity was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75-0.90) and the specificity was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.56-0.67). The positive predictive value of the MEWC in our population was 0.34 (95% CI, 0.29-0.40), and the negative predictive value was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.93-0.99). When considering only patients with multiple or recurrent triggers, the positive predictive value was 0.42 (95% CI, 0.38-0.46) and the negative predictive value was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.88-0.95).

CONCLUSIONS

The MEWC are associated with maternal morbidity. As a screening tool, they appropriately prioritize sensitivity and have an excellent negative predictive value. The criteria demonstrate low specificity, which is slightly improved by considering only patients with recurrent or multiple triggers. Additional efforts to improve the specificity of MEWC, with a focus on identifying sustained or recurrent patterns of abnormal vital signs, may be necessary before their widespread implementation.

Incidence of maternal peripartum infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Infection is an important, preventable cause of maternal morbidity, and pregnancy-related sepsis accounts for 11% of maternal deaths. However, frequency of maternal infection is poorly described, and, to our knowledge, it remains the one major cause of maternal mortality without a systematic review of incidence. Our objective was to estimate the average global incidence of maternal peripartum infection.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, and five other databases from January 2005 to June 2016 (PROSPERO: CRD42017074591). Specific outcomes comprised chorioamnionitis in labour, puerperal endometritis, wound infection following cesarean section or perineal trauma, and sepsis occurring from onset of labour until 42 days postpartum. We assessed studies irrespective of language or study design. We excluded conference abstracts, studies of high-risk women, and data collected before 1990. Three reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and appraised quality. Quality criteria for incidence/prevalence studies were adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute. We used random-effects models to obtain weighted pooled estimates of incidence risk for each outcome and metaregression to identify study-level characteristics affecting incidence. From 31,528 potentially relevant articles, we included 111 studies of infection in women in labour or postpartum from 46 countries. Four studies were randomised controlled trials, two were before-after intervention studies, and the remainder were observational cohort or cross-sectional studies. The pooled incidence in high-quality studies was 3.9% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.8%-6.8%) for chorioamnionitis, 1.6% (95% CI 0.9%-2.5%) for endometritis, 1.2% (95% CI 1.0%-1.5%) for wound infection, 0.05% (95% CI 0.03%-0.07%) for sepsis, and 1.1% (95% CI 0.3%-2.4%) for maternal peripartum infection. 19% of studies met all quality criteria. There were few data from developing countries and marked heterogeneity in study designs and infection definitions, limiting the interpretation of these estimates as measures of global infection incidence. A limitation of this review is the inclusion of studies that were facility-based or restricted to low-risk groups of women.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed pooled infection estimates of almost 4% in labour and between 1%-2% of each infection outcome postpartum. This indicates maternal peripartum infection is an important complication of childbirth and that preventive efforts should be increased in light of antimicrobial resistance. Incidence risk appears lower than modelled global estimates, although differences in definitions limit comparability. Better-quality research, using standard definitions, is required to improve comparability between study settings and to demonstrate the influence of risk factors and protective interventions.

A comorbidity-based screening tool to predict severe maternal morbidity at the time of delivery

BACKGROUND

The obstetric comorbidity index summarizes the burden of maternal comorbidities into a single number and holds promise as a maternal risk-assessment tool.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical performance of this comorbidity-based screening tool to accurately identify women on labor and delivery who are at risk of severe maternal morbidity on labor and delivery in real time.

STUDY DESIGN

All patients with pregnancies ≥23 weeks gestation presenting to labor and delivery at a single tertiary-care center from February through July 2018 were included in the study. The patient's primary labor and delivery nurse assessed patient comorbidities and calculated the patient's obstetric comorbidity index. The score was recalculated at each 12-hour shift change. A multidisciplinary panel of clinicians determined whether patients experienced severe maternal morbidity based on the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine consensus definition, blinded to the patient's obstetric comorbidity index score. We analyzed the association between the obstetric comorbidity index score and the occurrence of severe maternal morbidity.

RESULTS

The study included 2828 women, of whom 1.73% experience severe maternal morbidity (n=49). The obstetric comorbidity index ranged from 0-15 for women in the study cohort, with a median obstetric comorbidity index of 1 (interquartile range, 0-3). The median obstetric comorbidity index score for women who experienced the severe maternal morbidity was 5 (interquartile range, 3-7) compared with a median of 1 (interquartile range, 0-3) for those without severe maternal morbidity (P<.01). The frequency of severe maternal morbidity increased from 0.41% for those with a score of 0 to 18.75% for those with a score ≥9. For every 1-point increase in the score, patients experienced a 1.55 increase in odds of severe maternal morbidity (95% confidence interval, 1.42-1.70). The c-statistic for the obstetric comorbidity index score was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.89), which indicated strong discrimination.

CONCLUSION

The obstetric comorbidity index can prospectively identify women at risk of severe maternal morbidity in a clinical setting. A particular strength of the obstetric comorbidity index is its ability to integrate multiple compounding comorbidities and highlight the cumulative risk that is associated with the patients' conditions. Routine clinical use of the obstetric comorbidity index has the potential to identify at-risk women whose condition warrants increased surveillance and targeted care to prevent adverse maternal outcomes.

Recent advances in the diagnosis and management of sepsis in pregnancy

Background: Maternal sepsis accounts for 11% of all maternal deaths worldwide. It is the third most common direct cause of maternal death and is a major contributor to other common causes of maternal death, such as haemorrhage and thromboembolism. Methods: This review addresses important topics, including the epidemiology, risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, care bundles and management of maternal sepsis, including antibiotic treatment, and critical care interventions such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Preventative measures that have had an impact on maternal sepsis as well as future research directions are also covered in this review. Case studies of maternal sepsis which highlight key learning points relevant to all clinicians involved in the management of obstetric patients will also be presented. Results: Although, historically, maternal death from sepsis was considered to be a problem for low-income countries, severe obstetric morbidity and maternal death from sepsis are increasing in high-income countries. The global burden of maternal sepsis and the obstetric-related and patient-related risk factors and the likely sources are presented. Recent changes in definition and nomenclature are outlined, and challenges in diagnosis and identification are discussed. Conclusions: Following maternal sepsis, early diagnosis and early intervention are critical to save lives and prevent long-term adverse sequelae. Dogma surrounding critical care interventions in pregnancy is being challenged, and future research is warranted to maximise therapeutic options available for maternal septic shock.

Sepsis in Pregnancy: Recognition and Resuscitation

The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy complicate evaluation for sepsis and subsequent management. Previous sepsis studies have specifically excluded pregnant patients. This narrative review evaluates the presentation, scoring systems for risk stratification, diagnosis, and management of sepsis in pregnancy. Sepsis is potentially fatal, but literature for the evaluation and treatment of this condition in pregnancy is scarce. While the definition and considerations of sepsis have changed with large, randomized controlled trials, pregnancy has consistently been among the exclusion criteria. The two pregnancy-specific sepsis scoring systems, the modified obstetric early warning scoring system (MOEWS) and Sepsis in Obstetrics Score (SOS), present a number of limitations for application in the emergency department (ED) setting. Methods of generation and subsequently limited validation leave significant gaps in identification of septic pregnant patients. Management requires consideration of a variety of sources in the septic pregnant patient. The underlying physiologic nature of pregnancy also highlights the need to individualize resuscitation and critical care efforts in this unique patient population. Pregnant septic patients require specific considerations and treatment goals to provide optimal care for this particular population. Guidelines and scoring systems currently exist, but further studies are required.

Early warning systems in obstetrics: A systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

Several versions of Early Warning Systems (EWS) are used in obstetrics to detect and treat early clinical deterioration to avert morbidity and mortality. EWS can potentially be useful to improve the quality of care and reduce the risk of maternal mortality in resource-limited settings. We conducted a systematic literature review of published obstetric early warning systems, define their predictive accuracy for morbidity and mortality, and their effectiveness in triggering corrective actions and improving health outcomes.

METHODS

We systematically searched for primary research articles on obstetric EWS published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1997 and March 2018 in Medline, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Science Direct, and Science Citation Index. We also searched reference lists of relevant articles and websites of professional societies. We included studies that assessed the predictive accuracy of EWS to detect clinical deterioration, or/and their effectiveness in improving clinical outcomes in obstetric inpatients. We excluded studies with a paediatric or non-obstetric adult population. Cross-sectional and qualitative studies were also excluded. We performed a narrative synthesis since the outcomes reported were heterogeneous.

RESULTS

A total of 381 papers were identified, 17 of which met the inclusion criteria. Eleven of the included studies evaluated the predictive accuracy of EWS for obstetric morbidity and mortality, 5 studies assessed the effectiveness of EWS in improving clinical outcomes, while one study addressed both. Sixteen published EWS versions were reviewed, 14 of which included five basic clinical observations (pulse rate, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, and consciousness level). The obstetric EWS identified had very high median (inter-quartile range) sensitivity-89% (72% to 97%) and specificity-85% (67% to 98%) but low median (inter-quartile range) positive predictive values-41% (25% to 74%) for predicting morbidity or ICU admission. Obstetric EWS had a very high accuracy in predicting death (AUROC >0.80) among critically ill obstetric patients. Obstetric EWS improves the frequency of routine vital sign observation, reduces the interval between the recording of specifically defined abnormal clinical observations and corrective clinical actions, and can potentially reduce the severity of obstetric morbidity.

CONCLUSION

Obstetric EWS are effective in predicting severe morbidity (in general obstetric population) and mortality (in critically ill obstetric patients). EWS can contribute to improved quality of care, prevent progressive obstetric morbidity and improve health outcomes. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of EWS in reducing maternal death across all settings. Clinical parameters in most obstetric EWS versions are routinely collected in resource-limited settings, therefore implementing EWS may be feasible in such settings.

The utility of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) for diagnosing sepsis in the immediate postpartum period

BACKGROUND

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis definitions were developed to improve the ability for early detection of infection and sepsis. We studied the incidence of immediate postpartum SIRS and sepsis. We further studied immediate postpartum SIRS as a potential predictor for immediate postpartum sepsis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 638 immediate postpartum women who delivered either vaginally or by cesarean section. Multivariate logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. Predictor variables included demographic, labor and delivery, and SIRS variables to determine their association with acute immediate postpartum sepsis.

RESULTS

We found that 72.10% of vital signs of immediate postpartum women met SIRS criteria while only 1.25% had sepsis. Both preterm gestational age of <37 weeks (OR:19.09, 95% CI:4.13, 88.36, p < 0.001) and only one of the four SIRS criteria of abnormal temperature (OR:25.90, 95% CI: 3.17, 211.52, p = 0.002) were each significantly associated with increased odds for sepsis.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that immediate postpartum SIRS is not useful for the identification of immediate postpartum sepsis. Furthermore, SIRS does not appear to be a useful screening tool for infection and sepsis in the immediate postpartum period.

Effect of a novel vital sign device on maternal mortality and morbidity in low-resource settings: a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

In 2015, an estimated 303 000 women died in pregnancy and childbirth. Obstetric haemorrhage, sepsis, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy account for more than 50% of maternal deaths worldwide. There are effective treatments for these pregnancy complications, but they require early detection by measurement of vital signs and timely administration to save lives. The primary aim of this trial was to determine whether implementation of the CRADLE Vital Sign Alert and an education package into community and facility maternity care in low-resource settings could reduce a composite of all-cause maternal mortality or major morbidity (eclampsia and hysterectomy).

METHODS

We did a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial in ten clusters across Africa, India, and Haiti, introducing the device into routine maternity care. Each cluster contained at least one secondary or tertiary hospital and their main referral facilities. Clusters crossed over from existing routine care to the CRADLE intervention in one of nine steps at 2-monthly intervals, with CRADLE devices replacing existing equipment at the randomly allocated timepoint. A computer-generated randomly allocated sequence determined the order in which the clusters received the intervention. Because of the nature of the intervention, this trial was not masked. Data were gathered monthly, with 20 time periods of 1 month. The primary composite outcome was at least one of eclampsia, emergency hysterectomy, and maternal death. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN41244132.

FINDINGS

Between April 1, 2016, and Nov 30, 2017, among 536 223 deliveries, the primary outcome occurred in 4067 women, with 998 maternal deaths, 2692 eclampsia cases, and 681 hysterectomies. There was an 8% decrease in the primary outcome from 79·4 per 10 000 deliveries pre-intervention to 72·8 per 10 000 deliveries post-intervention (odds ratio [OR] 0·92, 95% CI 0·86-0·97; p=0·0056). After planned adjustments for variation in event rates between and within clusters over time, the unexpected degree of variability meant we were unable to judge the benefit or harms of the intervention (OR 1·22, 95% CI 0·73-2·06; p=0·45).

INTERPRETATION

There was an absolute 8% reduction in primary outcome during the trial, with no change in resources or staffing, but this reduction could not be directly attributed to the intervention due to variability. We encountered unanticipated methodological challenges with this trial design, which can provide valuable learning for future research and inform the trial design of future international stepped-wedge trials.

FUNDING

Newton Fund Global Research Programme: UK Medical Research Council; Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India; and UK Department of International Development.

Reducing Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity: The Role of Critical Care

Throughout most of the 20th century, the risk of maternal mortality in high resource countries decreased dramatically; however, this trend recently has stalled in the United States and appears to have reversed. Equally alarming is that for every reported maternal death, there are numerous severe maternal morbidities or near misses. Shifting maternal demographics (eg, obesity, advanced maternal age, multifetal pregnancies), with attendant significant medical comorbidities (eg, hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease) and the increase in cesarean deliveries significantly contribute to increased maternal morbidity and mortality. This chapter focuses on the role of critical care in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

Development of a novel bedside index for the early identification of severe maternal infection

OBJECTIVES

International consensus reports have recently recommended that the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria for the diagnosis of sepsis should cease and that new bedside criteria need to be developed to improve prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this retrospective audit was to evaluate a suite of four bedside clinical criteria, called the Early Maternal Infection Prompts (EMIP), in helping to identify women with a suspected severe infection who were admitted to a High Dependency Unit (HDU) in a large tertiary referral stand-alone maternity hospital.

STUDY DESIGN

The four EMIP criteria were decided based on existing national obstetric guidelines and a review of the recent literature on maternal critical illnesses. Cases were identified from the HDU registry for the three years 2015-2017. Individual charts were retrieved, and the four EMIP parameters were measured at the time of the clinical assessment that led to the HDU admission. Clinical and sociodemographic details were computerised for analysis.

RESULTS

Of 73 women admitted with suspected severe maternal infection, the handwritten records were available in 69. The mean age was 31.3 years, 71% were multiparous and 26.1% were obese. Three quarters of cases were antenatal admissions. Infection was confirmed microbiologically in 56 (81.1%) of cases. There were no maternal deaths. There was no case of organ dysfunction diagnosed but two women required vasopressors to maintain blood pressure. Recordings of the maternal vital signs were not always fully completed before admission. In 69.1% (n = 47) of cases the temperature was elevated ≥ 37.5 C, in 81.2% (n = 56) of cases the heart rate was increased ≥ 100 bpm, in 51.9% (n = 27) cases the respiratory rate was increased ≥ 20 bpm, and in 25.4% (n = 17) cases the systolic blood pressure was ≤100 mmHg. At least one of the four EMIP criteria was abnormal in 91.3% (n = 63) of cases of suspected severe infection.

CONCLUSIONS

The audit confirmed that this bedside index has potential in helping to identify maternal infection early before sepsis develops. Prospective studies are required to evaluate the index in different settings, for different infections and at the different stages of maternal infection.

Obstetric Admissions in ICU in a Tertiary Care Center: A 5-Years Retrospective Study

Background and Aim

Obstetric patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) represent a challenge to physicians. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence, characteristics, and mortality of pregnant and postpartum patients requiring ICU admission.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed between January 2008 and December 2013 at the University Hospital Federico II of Naples including pregnant and puerperal women until the 42nd day of postpartum and admitted to ICU.

Results

Patients admitted with an obstetric diagnosis had a higher incidence of at least one previous cesarean section, were treated more with hysterectomy, had an increasing incidence of hemodynamic instability, had more postpartum admission, had a higher TISS-28 score, and required more endotracheal intubation than patients admitted with non-obstetrics diagnosis.

Conclusion

A shared approach including a close collaboration between ICU and obstetric ward may be useful to reduce ICU admission and to improve maternal and foetal outcomes.

How to cite this article

Vargas M, Marra A, Buonanno P, Iacovazzo C, Schiavone V, Servillo G. Obstetric Admissions in ICU in a Tertiary Care Center. A 5-years Retrospective Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(5):213-219.

Severe maternal morbidity due to sepsis: The burden and preventability of disease in New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic condition that appears to be increasing in the obstetric population. Clinical detection can be difficult and may result in increased morbidity via delays in the continuum of patient care.

AIMS

To describe the burden of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) caused by sepsis in New Zealand and investigate the potential preventability.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary expert review panel was established to review cases of obstetric sepsis admitted to intensive care or high-dependency units over an 18 month span in New Zealand. Cases were then analysed for the characteristics of infection and their preventability.

RESULTS

Fifty cases met the inclusion criteria, most commonly due to uterine, respiratory or kidney infection. Fifty per cent (25) of these cases were deemed potentially preventable, predominantly due to delays in diagnosis and treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

A high index of suspicion, development of early recognition systems and multi-disciplinary training are recommended to decrease preventable cases of maternal sepsis.

The global maternal sepsis study and awareness campaign (GLOSS): study protocol

Background

Maternal sepsis is the underlying cause of 11% of all maternal deaths and a significant contributor to many deaths attributed to other underlying conditions. The effective prevention, early identification and adequate management of maternal and neonatal infections and sepsis can contribute to reducing the burden of infection as an underlying and contributing cause of morbidity and mortality. The objectives of the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS) include: the development and validation of identification criteria for possible severe maternal infection and maternal sepsis; assessment of the frequency of use of a core set of practices recommended for prevention, early identification and management of maternal sepsis; further understanding of mother-to-child transmission of bacterial infection; assessment of the level of awareness about maternal and neonatal sepsis among health care providers; and establishment of a network of health care facilities to implement quality improvement strategies for better identification and management of maternal and early neonatal sepsis.

Methods

This is a facility-based, prospective, one-week inception cohort study. This study will be implemented in health care facilities located in pre-specified geographical areas of participating countries across the WHO regions of Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific. During a seven-day period, all women admitted to or already hospitalised in participating facilities with suspected or confirmed infection during any stage of pregnancy through the 42nd day after abortion or childbirth will be included in the study. Included women will be followed during their stay in the facilities until hospital discharge, death or transfer to another health facility. The maximum intra-hospital follow-up period will be 42 days.

Discussion

GLOSS will provide a set of actionable criteria for identification of women with possible severe maternal infection and maternal sepsis. This study will provide data on the frequency of maternal sepsis and uptake of effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in obstetrics in different hospitals and countries. We will also be able to explore links between interventions and maternal and perinatal outcomes and identify priority areas for action.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12978-017-0437-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Maternal sepsis in the era of genomic medicine

PURPOSE

Maternal sepsis remains one of the leading causes of direct and indirect maternal mortality both in high- and low-income environments. In the last two decades, systems biology approaches, based on '-omics' technologies, have started revolutionizing the diagnosis and management of the septic syndrome. The scope of this narrative review is to present an overview of the basic '-omics' technologies, exemplified by cases relevant to maternal sepsis.

METHODS

Narrative review of the new '-omics' technologies based on a detailed review of the literature.

RESULTS

After presenting the main 'omics' technologies, we discuss their limitations and the need for integrated approaches that encompass research efforts across multiple '-omics' layers in the '-omics' cascade between the genome and the phenome.

CONCLUSIONS

Systems biology approaches are revolutionizing the research landscape in maternal sepsis. There is a need for increased awareness, from the side of health practitioners, as a requirement for the effective implementation of the new technologies in the research and clinical practice in maternal sepsis.

Internal Validation of the Sepsis in Obstetrics Score to Identify Risk of Morbidity From Sepsis in Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively validate the Sepsis in Obstetrics Score, a pregnancy-specific sepsis scoring system, to identify risk for intensive care unit (ICU) admission for sepsis in pregnancy.

METHODS

This is a prospective validation study of the Sepsis in Obstetrics Score. The primary outcome was admission to the ICU for sepsis. Secondary outcomes included admission to a telemetry unit and time to administration of antibiotic therapy. We evaluated test characteristics of a predetermined score of 6 or greater.

RESULTS

Between March 2012 and May 2015, 1,250 pregnant or postpartum women presented to the emergency department and met systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. Of those, 425 (34%) had a clinical suspicion or diagnosis of an infection, 14 of whom (3.3%) were admitted to the ICU. The Sepsis in Obstetrics Score had an area under the curve of 0.85 (95% CI 0.76-0.95) for prediction of ICU admission for sepsis. This is within the prespecified 15% margin of the area under the curve of 0.97 found in the derivation cohort. A score of 6 or greater had a sensitivity of 64%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value of 15%, and negative predictive value of 98.6%. Women with a score 6 or greater were more likely to be admitted to the ICU (15% compared with 1.4%, P<.01), admitted to a telemetry unit (37.3% compared with 7.2%, P<.01), and have antibiotic therapy initiated (90% compared with 72.9%, P<.01), initiated more quickly (3.2 compared with 3.7 hours, P=.03), although not within 1 hour (5.6 compared with 3.4%, P=.44).

CONCLUSION

The Sepsis in Obstetrics Score is a validated pregnancy-specific score to identify risk of ICU admission for sepsis with the threshold score of 6 having a negative predictive value of 98.6%. Adherence to antibiotic administration guidelines is poor.

What's New in Obstetric Anesthesia: The 2016 Gerard W. Ostheimer Lecture

This special article presents potentially important trends and issues affecting the field of obstetric anesthesia drawn from publications in 2015. Both maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States have increased in recent years because, in part, of the changing demographics of the childbearing population. Pregnant women are older and have more pre-existing conditions and complex medical histories. Cardiovascular and noncardiovascular medical diseases now account for half of maternal deaths in the United States. Several national and international organizations have developed initiatives promoting optimal obstetric and anesthetic care, including guidelines on the obstetric airway, obstetric cardiac arrest protocols, and obstetric hemorrhage bundles. To deal with the increasing burden of high-risk parturients, the national obstetric organizations have proposed a risk-based classification of delivery centers, termed as Levels of Maternal Care. The goal of this initiative is to funnel more complex obstetric patients toward high-acuity centers where they can receive more effective care. Despite the increasing obstetric complexity, anesthesia-related adverse events and morbidity are decreasing, possibly reflecting an ongoing focus on safe systems of anesthetic care. It is critical that the practice of obstetric anesthesia expand beyond the mere provision of safe analgesia and anesthesia to lead in developing and promoting comprehensive safety systems for obstetrics and team-based coordinated care.

Towards a consensus definition of maternal sepsis: results of a systematic review and expert consultation

Background

There is a need for a clear and actionable definition of maternal sepsis, in order to better assess the burden of this condition, trigger timely and effective treatment and allow comparisons across facilities and countries. The objective of this study was to review maternal sepsis definitions and identification criteria and to report on the results of an expert consultation to develop a new international definition of maternal sepsis.

Methods

All original and review articles and WHO documents, as well as clinical guidelines providing definitions and/or identification criteria of maternal sepsis were included. A multidisciplinary international panel of experts was surveyed through an online consultation in March-April 2016 on their opinion on the existing sepsis definitions, including new definition of sepsis proposed for the adult population (2016 Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock) and importance of different criteria for identification of maternal sepsis. The definition was agreed using an iterative process in an expert face-to-face consensus development meeting convened by WHO and Jhpiego.

Results

Standardizing the definition of maternal sepsis and aligning it with the current understanding of sepsis in the adult population was considered a mandatory step to improve the assessment of the burden of maternal sepsis by the expert panel. The literature review and expert consultation resulted in a new WHO consensus definition “Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening condition defined as organ dysfunction resulting from infection during pregnancy, child-birth, post-abortion, or post-partum period”. Plans are in progress to validate the new WHO definition of maternal sepsis in a large international population.

Conclusion

The operationalization of the new maternal sepsis definition requires generation of a set of practical criteria to identify women with sepsis. These criteria should enable clinicians to focus on the timely initiation of actionable elements of care (administration of antimicrobials and fluids, support of vital organ functions, and referral) and improve maternal outcomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12978-017-0321-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.