Maternal Mortality - Lessons Learnt from Autopsy

The book discusses about 45 cases of maternal autopsies. These maternal mortalities are related to pregnancy-related diseases, pre-existing diseases that worsen or manifest during pregnancy and diseases for which pregnant patient has increased risk. As the study of maternal mortality is a healthcare quality indicator and plays an important role in the improvement of obstetric care, the book aims at discussing autopsy findings, which is the gold standard for establishing not only the causes of death, but also to uncover the various pathological lesions produced by the physiologic phenomenon of pregnancy. This helps in identifying the direct and indirect causes, which can be reviewed at multidisciplinary review meetings.

The chapters are arranged according to direct and indirect causes of maternal death, involving varied target organ systems i.e. central nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastro-intestinal tract, hepato-biliary system and pancreas, urinary system, female genital tract and others. However, it does not include diseases coincidental in pregnancy.

Each case begins with the complete case history (age, duration of pregnancy, clinical presentation, investigations, clinical diagnosis, therapy, and course during ward stay, if any), autopsy findings, followed by a clinico-pathological discussion and includes appropriate gross organ and microscopic images.

The book caters to the specialists in pathology, obstetrics, general medicine, critical care, surgery, pulmonologists, cardiology and all those involved in the care of pregnant women.