ABSTRACT
Intensive-care issues in maternal deaths first appeared in the 1991–1993 triennial Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths report, and has been a regular feature in subsequent reports. This chapter looks at the broader picture of the role of intensive care in the management of the sick mother. It explores the role that a better understanding of the management of severely disturbed physiology can have in reducing maternal mortality. The origins of the principles of intensive care can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who proposed the collection of the sickest patients into one area in order to improve staff:patient ratios. In 2005, the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre published a study looking at the case mix, outcome and activity of obstetric admissions to adult general critical care units. Central venous pressure monitoring is almost universal in intensive care and in anaesthesia for major surgery.
