Management of the critically ill obstetric patient

From 2019 to 2021, 241 women in the UK died during pregnancy or in the 6-week period postpartum, as a direct or indirect result of the pregnancy, a mortality rate of almost 1 in 10,000. In 14% of cases, care was considered ‘good’, but in 52%, opportunities to improve care were identified that might have altered the outcome in a positive way. The admission rate to intensive care units for women who are pregnant or within the first six postnatal weeks exceeds 1 in 500 maternities, and is more common among women of black ethnic origin, older age, or those with severe obesity. Reasons for admission range from provision of close observation with or without invasive monitoring, to multi-organ support including extracorporeal therapies. An understanding of the types of organ support available, along with their indications and objectives, is important for all medical professionals caring for such women. This review describes the range of critical care organ support modalities available and how the physiology of pregnancy influences their use. The non-clinical challenges faced by professionals caring for these women who are critically unwell, from logistical to psychological, are also discussed.