Preparedness for severe maternal morbidity in European hospitals: The MaCriCare study
Authors' conclusion
Gaps in provision exist for obstetric patients with SMM in Europe, potentially compromising patient safety and experience. MEOWS use in OUs was low, while access to invasive monitoring and onsite HDU and ICU facilities was variable. ICUs frequently lacked resources and did not universally collect obstetric data for quality control.
Study context
- Population
- Obstetric units in 26 WHO Europe Region countries, September 2021 to January 2022responses evaluated
- Participants
- 1,133 participants
- Outcome
- Preparedness of OUs and ICUs for severe maternal morbidity (SMM)
Methodological detailsinternational, multicentre, survey
- International
- Multicentre
- Survey
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- MEOWS use
- 34.5%
- Obstetric units (OUs) providing invasive monitoring in the OU
- 21.4% (242)
- OUs lacking access to onsite HDU beds
- A quarter
- OUs indicating need for transfer to another hospital in severe maternal morbidity (SMM)
- up to 13.8%
- Transfer rate in small units (highest)
- 74.0%
- Centres providing onsite ICU facilities to obstetric patients
- 81.9%
- Onsite intensive care units (ICUs) providing daily specialist obstetric reviews
- Over 90%
- Onsite ICUs lacking immediate access to uterotonic drugs
- 3.4%
- Onsite ICUs lacking immediate access to neonatal resuscitation equipment
- 7.5%
- Onsite ICUs lacking immediate access to neonatal resuscitation team
- 9.2%
- Onsite ICUs lacking immediate access to perimortem cesarean section equipment
- 11.4%
- Reporting obstetric data to a national database
- 41.2%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Preparedness for severe maternal morbidity in European hospitals: The MaCriCare study. Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med. Published 13 February 2024. doi:10.
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