Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
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A total of 21 cases of severe burns in pregnancy managed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, over a 10-year period, spanning January 1991-December 2000 inclusively were reviewed. The pregnancy loss was 92.9%, with the pregnancies spontaneously terminated within 10 days of sustaining the injury. Maternal mortality was 47.6% with sepsis as the most common cause of death. ⋯ Prophylactic systemic antibiotics should be given to minimise the development of sepsis. Patients are best managed in the obstetrics ward during the first 2 weeks of injury. A multidisciplinary approach is encouraged in managing cases of severe burns in pregnancy.