• Thomas F Baskett and Colleen M O'Connell.
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Perinatal Epidemiology Research Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS.
• J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2009 Mar 1; 31 (3): 218-21.

ObjectiveTo determine the factors leading to maternal critical care in a tertiary obstetric hospital and the associated trends.MethodsWe conducted a review of the medical records of all women who required transfer for critical care from a free-standing obstetric unit to a general hospital over a 24-year period (1982-2005).ResultsDuring the 24-year period there were five maternal deaths directly associated with 122,001 deliveries (4.1/100,000) and, in addition, 117 women were transferred to the general hospital for critical care (1.0/1000). The death-to-transfer ratio was 1 in 23. Of the women transferred, 93/117 (79.5%) required intensive care and 24/117 (20.5%) needed specialized medical or surgical services not available in the obstetric unit. Of the women transferred, 16/117 (13.7%) were antepartum, and 101/117 (86.3%) were postpartum. Hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders combined to make up 56.4% of all maternal transfers. Women with a multiple pregnancy were more likely to require transfer than those with a singleton pregnancy (RR 3.34; 95% CI 1.4-7.59, P=0.01).ConclusionThe majority of maternal transfers for critical care occur postpartum, and in more than half of the cases the reason for transfer is hemorrhage or hypertensive disease. Women with a multiple pregnancy had a significantly greater rate of transfer than those with a singleton, and women with a triplet pregnancy had a greater rate than those with twins. There was a non-significant increase in the number of maternal transfers over the study period.

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