CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF RISK-FACTORS FOR OBSTETRIC PATIENTS ADMISSION TO INTENSIVE-CARE UNITS

Objective: To identify risk factors among pregnant and newly delivered women to be treated in intensive care unit (ICU). Study design. A cas e-control survey of pregnant women or delivered within the past 42 day s admitted to ICU was performed in three regions of France. Two contro ls by subject were matched for hospital and outcome (vaginal delivery, caesarean section, abortion or ectopic pregnancy). Bivariate and mult ivariate analyses, using different models were done. The confidence in tervals (Cl) are 95% intervals. The odds ratio (OR) were adjusted on m atching factors in univariate analysis, and adjusted on all factors in cluded in the multivariate analysis. Results: 375 subjects treated in ICU and 750 controls were included in the study. These women did not d iffer in age, marital status or social class, but the cases were more often of non-European nationality. They had more often medical anteced ents which were also more serious. The subjects consulted at the mater nity facility less frequently than did controls. The following variabl es increased the risk of ICU admission: no antenatal consultation at t he maternity ward (OR 2.8, Cl 1.5-5.1) serious past medical history (O R 2.7, Cl 2.0-3.6), non-European nationality (OR 2.5, Cl 1.7-3.7) and current multiple pregnancy (OR 2.3, Cl 1.2-4.5). Conclusion: As some f actors can clearly be ascertained before the condition of the patient worsens it is argued that more attention could be paid to them. Regard ing the risk associated to multiple pregnancy, further efforts to prev ent them ought to be considered. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd .