Obstetric units' preparedness to manage critically ill women. The second report from the MaCriCare study

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to describe the availability of 31 distinct services and facilities to diagnose, resuscitate, and treat critically unwell obstetric patients.

Methods: Using a network of anesthesiologists, intensive care clinicians, obstetricians, critical care nurses, and midwives (MaCriCare) from September 2021 to January 2022, we conducted a descriptive international multicenter cross-sectional survey in centers with obstetric units (OUs) in the WHO Europe Region.

Results: The MaCriCare network covers 26 countries and received 1133 responses, corresponding to 2.5 million annual deliveries. The survey identified significant disparities in the availability of the measured 31 services among the OUs, with some services not immediately available and some not available at all. Point-of-care hemoglobin measurements were lacking in 13.8% of OUs. 15.2% of OUs lacked pointof-care lactate measurement, and 11% lacked transfusion services. 23.8% of OUs lacked the ability to administer hypotensive agent infusions in the labor ward. Samebuilding access to cell saver and thromboelastometry was unavailable to 45.5% and 64.4% of OUs, respectively. Access to invasive ventilation was unavailable to 3.4% of OUs, 11.7% were unable to offer same-building access to non-invasive ventilation, and extracorporeal membranous oxygenation was unavailable to 38.3% of the OUs.

Conclusion: Critically ill obstetric patients have access to markedly different resources in the WHO Europe Region depending on the OU where they are managed. Consensus on which facilities and services should be universally available is urgently needed.

Keywords: Healthcare disparities; Inequalities in care; Maternal critical care; Obstetric critical care; Patient safety; Standard of care.