Prospective Investigation of the Frequency of Preexisting Medical Comorbidities Among Peripartum Women in an Israeli Tertiary Institution

Background: A rise in maternal mortality in the USA, Canada and Norway, has been predominantly associated with preexisting conditions, especially cardiovascular.[1] We aimed to investigate the frequency of preexisting medical comorbidities among peripartum women in an Israeli cohort.

Methods: Prospective IRB approved questionnaire study, exclusion criterion: age 4 units and intensive-care-unit (ICU) for women with versus without preexisting medical comorbidities. ^[2]

Results: We intend to present a full cohort in November 2017 with the PRBC and ICU data. To date we have recruited 183/600(30%) anticipated study recruits. 70(38%) women reported preexisting comorbidities; 107 (58%) were recorded in “Ofek” and 48(26%) in “Chameleon”. One woman reported a family history of acetylcholinesterase deficiency that appeared in “Ofek” but was not recorded in “Chameleon” and not known to the treating medical team.

Conclusion: The medical history obtained when laboring women enter the Labor ward is frequently incomplete, and these medical data gaps are concerning.

[1] Creanga AA, Berg CJ, Syverson C, Seed K, Bruce FC, Callaghan WM. Pregnancy-related mortality in the United States, 2006-2010. Obstet Gynecol, 2015;125(1):5-12

[2] American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Kilpatrick SK, Ecker JL, Callaghan WM. Obstetric Care Consensus: Severe Maternal Morbidity. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2016; 128(3):e54-60