Obstetric Sepsis: Focus on the 3-Hour Bundle

Prevention of Failure to Rescue in Obstetric Patients: A Realist Review

BACKGROUND

At least 40% of maternal deaths are attributable to failure to rescue (FTR) events. Nurses are positioned to prevent FTR events, but there is minimal understanding of systems-level factors affecting obstetric nurses when patients require rescue.

AIMS

To identify the nurse-specific contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes underlying obstetric FTR and the interventions designed to prevent these events.

METHODS

A realist review was conducted to meet the aims. This review included literature from 1999 to 2020 to understand the systems-level factors affecting obstetric nurses during FTR events using a human factors framework designed by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety.

RESULTS

Existing interventions addressed the prevention of maternal death through education of clinicians, improved protocols for care and maternal transfer, and an emphasis on communication and teamwork.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Few researchers addressed task overload or connected employee and organizational outcomes with patient outcomes, and the physical environment was minimally considered. Future research is needed to understand how systems-level factors affect nurses during FTR events.

Using a Claims-Based Framework to Identify Severe Maternal Morbidities in a Commercially Insured US Population

Many severe maternal morbidities (SMMs) are preventable, and understanding circumstances in which complications occur is crucial. The objective was to evaluate a framework for SMM benchmarking and quality improvement opportunities. Building upon metrics defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the basis of an inpatient sample, analysis included indicators across 5 domains (Hemorrhage/Transfusion, Preeclampsia/Eclampsia, Cardiovascular, Sepsis, and Thromboembolism/Cerebrovascular). Morbidity rates per 10 000 deliveries were calculated using de-identified administrative claims in commercially insured women in the United States. Longitudinal data linked inpatient delivery episodes and 6-week postpartum period, and SMMs were assessed for present on admission and geographic variation. This retrospective analysis of 356 838 deliveries identified geographic variation in SMMs. For example, hemorrhage rates per 10 000 varied 3-fold across states from 279.7 in Alabama to 964.69 in Oregon. Administrative claims can be used to calculate SMM rates, identify geographic variations, and assess problems locally, nationally, and across payers. Identifying conditions present on admission and a postpartum window is valuable in differentiating events occurring during preadmission, inpatient stay, and postpartum periods. Targeting preventable SMMs through local and hospital-level interventions and limiting SMM progression through postdischarge monitoring may reduce the prevalence of SMM and postpartum complications.

Interprofessional Simulation to Improve the Understanding of Obstetric Sepsis

Sepsis parameters are not well defined for the obstetric population, which can result in delayed recognition. The escape room-based simulation sought to improve obstetric providers' and nurses' understanding, identification, and timely treatment of maternal sepsis. Participants expressed interest and enthusiasm in using this learning style to improve care of the sepsis patient. This intervention proved beneficial to staff development educators as an innovative and effective way to improve interprofessional engagement and promote knowledge of maternal sepsis.

Manejo de la sepsis en el embarazo. Revisión de la literatura

La sepsis se reconoce como una enfermedad común y mortal, cuya epidemiología obliga al médico tratante a realizar un diagnóstico oportuno por el alto riesgo de complicaciones o muerte. En las gestantes hay una gran vulnerabilidad debido a los cambios físicos y hormonales que están afrontado. Es indispensable iniciar el tratamiento tan pronto se tenga el diagnóstico, para evitar que sea mortal tanto para la madre como para el feto. Es por esto que el objetivo es una revisión sobre la intervención en las pacientes con diagnóstico de sepsis en estado de embarazo al ingreso a la UCI, bajo los siguientes ejes temáticos: definición clara de sepsis en el embarazo, factores de riesgo, intervención terapéutica en UCI y consecuencias para el feto durante su intervención. Se concluye que el manejo de la sepsis en las embarazadas es muy similar a las que no lo están. Hacen falta investigaciones con evidencia científica, velando siempre por la vida ya que no solo se trata un ser humano sino de dos.

The Perinatal Birth Environment: Communication Strategies and Processes for Adherence to a Standardized Guideline in Women Undergoing Second-Stage Labor With Epidural Anesthesia

Key to any perinatal safety initiative is buy-in and strong leadership from obstetric and pediatric providers, advanced practice nurses, and labor and delivery nurses in collaboration with ancillary staff. In the fall of 2007, executives of a large Midwestern hospital system created the Zero Birth Injury Initiative. This multidisciplinary group sought to eliminate birth injury using the Institute of Healthcare Improvement Perinatal Bundles. Concurrently, the team implemented a standardized second-stage labor guideline for women who choose epidural analgesia for pain management to continue the work of eliminating birth injuries in second-stage labor. The purpose of this article was to describe the process of the modification and adaptation of a standardized second-stage labor guideline, as well as adherence rates of these guidelines into clinical practice. Prior to implementation, a Web-based needs assessment survey of providers was conducted. Most (77% of 180 respondents) believed there was a need for an evidence-based guideline to manage the second stage of labor. The guideline was implemented at 5 community hospitals and 1 academic health center. Data were prospectively collected during a 3-month period for adherence assessment at 1 community hospital and 1 academic health center. Providers adhered to the guideline in about 57% of births. Of patients whose provider followed the guideline, 75% of women were encouraged to delay pushing compared with only 28% of patients delayed pushing when the provider did not follow the guideline.

Group A Streptococcal Infection in Pregnancy and the Puerperium

There has been an increasing incidence worldwide of invasive group A streptococcal disease in pregnancy and the puerperal period over the past 30 years. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) was identified as the major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality from sepsis before the identification that hand washing techniques could prevent the transmission of the bacteria. Hand washing remains the cornerstone of prevention as transmission can occur directly from an asymptomatic colonized healthcare provider, other patients, or a community-acquired source. Pregnancy and the puerperal period are associated with significant maternal physiologic changes that must be identified and clarified to identify signs and symptoms of GAS so that treatment can be initiated at the earliest moment. Treatment of group A streptococcal sepsis follows the guidelines developed under the Surviving Sepsis Campaign model. Maternal outcomes are improved by identifying risk factors and working with the perinatal team to implement rapid intervention. Even with prompt treatment of invasive group A Streptococcus, it remains the most common cause of infection that results in severe maternal morbidity and death in the world.

Sepsis in Pregnancy: Identification and Management

Sepsis accounts for up to 28% of all maternal deaths. Prompt, appropriate treatment improves maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. To date, there are no validated tools for identification of sepsis in pregnant women, and tools used in the general population tend to overestimate mortality. Once identified, management of pregnancy-associated sepsis is goal-directed, but because of the lack of studies of sepsis management in pregnancy, it must be assumed that modifications need to be made on the basis of the physiologic changes of pregnancy. Key to management is early fluid resuscitation and early initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy directed toward the likely source of infection or, if the source is unknown, empiric broad-spectrum therapy. Efforts directed at identifying the source of infection and appropriate source control measures are critical. Development of an illness severity scoring system and treatment algorithms validated in pregnant women needs to be a research priority.

Chorioamnionitis at Term: Definition, Diagnosis, and Implications for Practice

Chorioamnionitis is a serious complication during labor at term and is associated with adverse neonatal outcome affecting approximately 10% of pregnancies. It is diagnosed clinically or microbiologically or by histopathologic examination of the placenta and umbilical cord. The clinical criteria for chorioamnionitis found in preterm or term women include maternal fever combined with 2 or more findings of maternal tachycardia, fetal tachycardia, leukocytosis, uterine tenderness, and/or malodorous amniotic fluid. These subjective findings are neither sensitive nor specific. However, clinical chorioamnionitis requires a high index of suspicion, timely diagnosis, prompt antibiotic treatment, and delivery, which may help reduce the potentially devastating outcome of maternal and neonatal infections. This article focuses on clinical chorioamnionitis and presents the physiologic immune response during pregnancy, the definition of chorioamnionitis, clinical diagnostic criteria, and implications for practice.