OAA Maternal Critical Care

OAA Maternal Critical Care

The OAA continues to take an interest in maternal critical care and is determined to have a voice in the on-going debate about who cares for the sick pregnant woman and where and how that care is provided. It is anticipated that as training in critical care medicine separates from anaesthesia, these issues will become more urgent.

The OAA maternal critical care subcommittee was dissolved in June 2016. The publication of ‘Standards for Maternal Critical Care’ produced in collaboration with the RCoA, RCoG, Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, Intensive Care Society and Royal College of Midwives, has been repeatedly delayed but it is hoped that the document will finally be released in the next few months.

The OAA is represented on the NICE guideline committee ‘Intrapartum Care for the sick mother’ which will be published in draft form for consultation in September 2018.

The OAA is also represented on the clinical reference group of the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA). In winter 2018/19 the NMPA will publish the results of a sprint audit into maternal critical care by linking intensive care records to maternity data. The aim of this audit is to understand why women are admitted to intensive care units and how this varies around the country.

Documents Available to Download

• Providing Equity of Critical Care in Maternity
• Care of the critically ill woman in childbirth; enhanced maternal care

ICNARC

The OAA contributes to this vital national project. Our contribution is led by Dr Audrey Quinn, Chair of the Maternal Critical Care Sub-Committee.

The OAA commissioned and funded ICNARC to produce its 2013 report “Female admissions (aged 16-50 years) to adult, general critical care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported as ‘currently pregnant’ or ‘recently pregnant’”. View the report here.

Visit ICNARC’s website here.