Abstract |
From 1978 to 1981, there were 70,000 deliveries at Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. 39 maternal mortalities were encountered during this four year period. The major causes of death were toxemia, hemorrhage, embolism, medical disease in pregnancy, sepsis, uterine inversion, obstetric trauma, Mendelson and pulmonary edema. Avoidable factors were isolated in all the mortalities except in three, one due to infective hepatitis and two due to cardiac disease in pregnancy. The patient was at fault in four mortalities. The need for documenting all maternal mortalities is a priority in this country to make analysis more meaningful. |