Report on confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in England and Wales, 1964-1966 / by Humphrey Arthure [and others].

Date:
1969
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Report on confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in England and Wales, 1964-1966 / by Humphrey Arthure [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    110/132 (page 102)
    The causes of death in the seventy-six women originally booked for their confinement in general practitioner maternity homes were: Toxaemia (including 4 deaths from eclampsia) 5 Accidental ante-partum haemorrhage B Placenta praevia ... ] Ruptured uterus ... ast ue a oF 4 Malpresentation, malposition, disproportion and pro- longed labour (the actual cause of death was anaesthetic misadventure in 6 and sepsis in 4)... 10 Post-partum haemorrhage Amniotic fluid embolism Sa fe sf 3 Pulmonary embolism ... Ma ae ee ae 10 (before delivery 4) (puerperal 6) Puerperal sepsis and mastitis 9 Other puerperal complications ne a l Abortion see 7 ne ae ia ee 2 Cardiac disease 4 Liver failure sia 2 Other associated conditions ... of ee re 13 Ten deaths occurred because of pulmonary embolism but in only one instance was the woman known to suffer from phlebo-thrombosis and none were con- sidered to have avoidable factors. One of the women who died from puerperal sepsis had a normal delivery and at her own request was discharged to her home forty-eight hours after delivery where she received regular visits from her domi- ciliary midwife and family doctor. At first all seemed well but symptoms of sepsis developed and for three days she was left at home with pyrexia and her condition steadily deteriorated. When unforeseen complications occur in the home in recently delivered mothers, lives might be saved by arranging either an obstetric domiciliary consultation or the admission of the mother to hospital before she becomes seriously ill. Four of the ten women who died from obstetric complications such as dis- proportion and prolonged labour died from sepsis. All four had emergency Caesarean section operations, one in the maternity home and three after transfer in labour to a consultant obstetric unit. One of the women whose uterus ruptured was also transferred as an emergency and died from post-operative sepsis. Six other women who suffered from disproportion or prolonged labour died from anaesthesia administered in two cases in the general practitioner maternity home and in four after transfer to a consultant obstetric unit. A