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A blueprint to establish a four‐bed obstetric critical care unit in the labor ward of a central hospital
Author(s) -
Langenegger Eduard J.,
Theron Gerhard B.,
Hall David R.,
Bello Camilo,
Escobar Vidarte Maria Fernanda
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.12828
Subject(s) - blueprint , unit (ring theory) , intensive care unit , medicine , medical emergency , business , intensive care medicine , psychology , engineering , mechanical engineering , mathematics education
Patients at risk of organ dysfunction or with established organ dysfunction should be referred to central or tertiary‐level hospitals. However, even in central hospitals, intensive care unit ( ICU ) beds are often unavailable, which may contribute to maternal deaths. One pragmatic solution is to establish obstetric critical care units ( OCCU s) in the labor wards of central hospitals; however, specific guidance on how to do this is limited. In addition, globally applicable standards of care are lacking, with uncertainty regarding who should lead obstetric critical care. In this article the specific OCCU infrastructure, equipment and human resources required to establish such units in central hospitals in low‐ and middle‐income countries are described in sufficient detail for easy replication. Admission and discharge guidelines and operational recommendations that include quality indicators are also provided.