Problem of maternal death in Maliana Referal Hospital, 2016-2022

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization defines maternal mortality as "the death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days after termination."

Objective: to characterize the problem of maternal deaths occurring in Hospital Referal Maliana 2016-2022.

Methods: observational, descriptive, retrospective research of maternal deaths occurring from 2016 to 2022 in Maliana Hospital, Timor Leste.

Results: maternal deaths have been stable, ranging between 1 and 6 deaths per year during the study period. The total of direct and indirect deaths resulted in 21. In adolescents as a risk group there was one death (4.8%) and 6 women over 35 years, 28.6%. Between both age groups, 33.3% of deaths occurred. Among the main causes, hypertensive disorders and puerperal sepsis with 5 cases each, as the fundamental cause of direct maternal death, and complications of Tuberculosis (2), which are the main conditions that affect the territory as indirect, followed by uterine atony, amniotic fluid embolism and thromboembolic disease.

Conclusions: in the study period there has been a tendency to decrease in the incidence in the territory and in two of those years only one death was reported. The main causes of death are hypertensive disorders and puerperal sepsis, as well as others associated with pregnancy.