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Maternal deaths attributable to hypertensive disorders in a tertiary hospital in Ghana
Author(s) -
AduBonsaffoh Kwame,
Oppong Samuel A.,
Binlinla Godwin,
Obed Samuel A.
Publication year - 2013
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 - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2013.05.017
Subject(s) - medicine , eclampsia , maternal death , case fatality rate , pregnancy , obstetrics , intracerebral hemorrhage , incidence (geometry) , pediatrics , cause of death , septic abortion , abortion , epidemiology , population , subarachnoid hemorrhage , genetics , physics , environmental health , disease , optics , biology
Objective To determine the contribution of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to maternal deaths at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, Ghana. Methods The retrospective descriptive study conducted at KBTH during 2010–2011 involved a comprehensive review of all maternal deaths attributable to hypertensive disorders. Results There were 21 385 deliveries, 21 742 live births, and 199 maternal deaths, resulting in a maternal mortality ratio of 915.3 per 100 000 live births. In total, 63 (31.7%) maternal deaths were attributable to hypertensive disorders with a case fatality rate of 3.9%. The incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 7.6%. Hypertensive disorders were the most common direct cause of maternal death followed by obstetric hemorrhage (26.6%), unsafe abortion (11.1%), and puerperal sepsis (3.5%). Most (38.1%) hypertension‐related maternal deaths occurred within 24 hours of admission and the majority (79.4%) had been referred. Eclampsia was the leading immediate cause of hypertension‐related death (23.8%), followed by acute renal failure (20.6%), intracerebral hemorrhage (15.9%), and pulmonary edema (12.7%). Conclusion Hypertensive diseases are the leading cause of maternal death at KBTH, having overtaken obstetric hemorrhage, with eclampsia, acute renal failure, intracerebral hemorrhage, and pulmonary edema representing the major immediate causes of hypertension‐related maternal death.