|
Maternal mortality in ewha Woman`s University Hospital for the period of 16 years from 1961 through 1976 were reviewed. there encountered 90 maternal deaths including 51 cases of hospital deaths and 39 cases of deaths on arrival among 28,359 live births. 1. Matermal mortality rate was 317.3 per 100,000 live births. The annual ternd of maternal mortality rate has been gradually lowered, particularly in recent 2 years. 2. the leading causes of maternal deaths in Ewha woman`s University Hospital were toxemia (40.0%), hemorrhage (31.1%), infection (7.0%0 and infectious hepatitis (5.6%) in decreasing order. and the major causes of maternal deaths in early pregnancy were complications resulted from legal abortion and ectopic pregnancy. 3. In hospital, maternal mortality rate of toxemia showed decreasing tendency down to about 50% in recent 5 years than 16 years ago, but maternal mortality rate of infection has been increased approximately 5 times in recent 5 years. 4. The inrectious hepatitis indecated the majority of indirect cause of maternal deaths (35.7%), and the rest of the cause were rheumatic heart disease (14.3%) and malignant diseases (21.4%) etc.. 5. Most of the hospital maternal deaths were considered to be preventable one (38.4%) in viewing of the dalayed admissions in the majority case (59%) and of some medical mismanagements (31%). The major etiologic factors of deaths on arrival were home deliveries itselt without medical attention and the delayed admission (48.7%), and both general practitioners (33.3%) and midwives (7.7%) mismanagements were also can not be over looked. 6. In order to prevent avoidable maternal deaths on the base of this study every possible dfforts should be emphasized. Particularly information and education on the patients, high quality antenatal care, early identification of high risk patients, regular service in training of both general practitioners and paramedical personnels including anesthetists. nurses and alboratory technicians, improvement of hospital-medical facilities. new approach to hospital delivery program, informative motivation on contraceptives and surgicl sterilizations and voluntary establishment of maternal mortality committee program in all communities are very important and imperative.
|