Blunt traumatic injury during pregnancy: a descriptive analysis from a level 1 trauma center

Abstract

Purpose: The precise incidence of trauma in pregnancy is not well-known, but trauma is estimated to complicate nearly 1 in 12 pregnancies and it is the leading non-obstetrical cause of maternal death.

Methods: A retrospective study of all pregnant women presented to national level 1 trauma center from July 2013 to June 2015 was conducted. Descriptive and inferential statistics applied for data analysis.

Results: Across the study period, a total of 95 pregnant women were presented to the trauma center. The average incidence rate of traumatic injuries was 250 per 1000 women of childbearing age presented to the Hamad Trauma Center. The mean age of patients was 30.4 ± SD 5.6 years, with age ranging from 20 to 42 years. The mean gestational age at the time of injury was 24.7 ± 8.7 weeks which ranged from 5 to 37 weeks. The majority (47.7%) was in the third trimester of the pregnancy. In addition, the large majority of injuries was due to MVCs (74.7%) followed by falls (15.8%).

Conclusions: Trauma during pregnancy is not an uncommon event particularly in the traffic-related crashes. As it is a complex condition for trauma surgeons and obstetrician, an appropriate management protocol and multidisciplinary team are needed to improve the outcome and save lives of both the mother and fetus.

Keywords: Childbearing; Motor vehicle crash; Pregnancy; Trauma.