Extremely severe maternal morbidity and its clinical behavior in the Intensive Care Unit

Authors

Keywords:

maternal morbidity, extremely severe maternal morbidity, clinical behavior, Intensive Care Unit, pregnancy complications

Abstract

Introduction: Extremely severe maternal morbidity involves life-threatening complications during pregnancy or up to 42 days after delivery and is related to pregnancy or its management. It excludes accidental causes, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive clinical approach to improve maternal outcomes and evaluate quality of care. The objective is to characterize from a clinical point of view the extremely severe maternal morbidity of patients hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit.

Method: An observational, cross-sectional and analytical research was carried out, structured under STROBE guidelines for epidemiological studies.

300 mothers admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Manuel Ascunce Domenech University Hospital in Camagüey, Cuba, between January/2020 and December/2024 were included.

Results: The groups aged 15 to 19 years and those aged 35 years and older were the most prone to the event, which occurred most frequently in the final period of pregnancy (37 to 42 weeks).

The synergy between obesity, anemia and cardiometabolic comorbidities constituted a critical substrate for extremely severe maternal morbidity. Divergences were observed in complications such as puerperal sepsis, when contrasted with other studies. Multiple organ dysfunction was identified as a critical predictor of mortality.

Discussion: The study of extremely severe maternal morbidity in the Intensive Care Unit allows us to identify risk factors, optimize care protocols and reduce mortality.

It reveals gaps in access to intensive care and the need to standardize diagnostic criteria, prioritizing research on socioeconomic determinants, multidisciplinary interventions and long-term impact on comprehensive health.

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Author Biographies

Yoandra Caracena Beltrán, Hospital Universitario Manuel Ascunce Domenech

Doctora en Medicina. Especialista de Primer Grado en Medicina Intensiva y Emergencias. Máster en Urgencias Médicas.

Juan Orlando Roura Carrasco, Hospital Universitario Manuel Ascunce Domenech

Doctor en Medicina. Especialista de Segundo Grado en Medicina Intensiva y Emergencias. Máster en Urgencias Médicas. Profesor Consultante.

Arnaldo Espindola Artola, Universidad de Camagüey.

Doctor en Ciencias Pedagógicas. Profesor Titular. Investigador Titular.

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Published

2025-12-09

How to Cite

1.
Caracena Beltrán Y, Roura Carrasco JO, Espindola Artola A. Extremely severe maternal morbidity and its clinical behavior in the Intensive Care Unit. Humanid. méd. [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 9 [cited 2025 Dec. 14];25:e2876. Available from: https://humanidadesmedicas.sld.cu/index.php/hm/article/view/2876

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Original articles