Abstract
Introduction: For most women, pregnancy is a normoevolutive physiological state; however, this is not true in all cases, as some obstetric patients present with life-threatening complications requiring admission to the obstetric Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Our study aimed to identify the primary reasons for admission to the obstetric ICU of a tertiary care center in Sinaloa, Mexico, from January 1 to December 31, 2023. This objective is crucial for understanding and improving maternal healthcare.
Our study was a retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive analysis of 83 patient records from the Women’s Hospital of Sinaloa ICU. This unique approach provides valuable insights into the leading causes of obstetric ICU admissions.
Results: The mean age was 24±7.25 years; the patients had a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 pregnancies; 65% had been terminated by delivery, 72.2% by cesarean section, and 14.1% by abortion. Prenatal care had not been provided in 27.7% of cases. The mean length of stay in the ICU was 3.1 days. Regarding marital status, 15.7% were single, 41.4% were married, and 43.4% were in a common-law relationship. Twenty-five point three percent had primary education, 42.2% had secondary education, 27.7% had high school, and 4.8% had professional studies. The most common diagnoses were preeclampsia with severity criteria (25.3%), obstetric hemorrhage (21.7%), hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome (9.6%), and eclampsia (7.2%).
Conclusions: Our findings underscore the significance of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and obstetric hemorrhage as the leading causes of ICU admissions in our hospital. This knowledge is crucial for improving maternal healthcare.
Francisco Javier Castro Apodaca, María Graciela Patricia Torres Castellanos Ley, José Ángel Uriarte Valenzuela, Yara Monserrat Gutiérrez Romero, Joel Murillo Llanes, Gloría María Peña García, Dalia Magaña Ordorica, Eli Terán Cabanillas, Javier Abednego Magaña Gómez, AdriánCanizalez-Román, John Michael Heusinkveld, Joseph Varon
