Trauma in pregnant women: an experience from a level 1 trauma center

Abstract

Objective: Trauma is the significant non-obstetrical cause of maternal mortality in women aged 35 years or younger. It is expected to complicate around 1 in 12 pregnancies and accounts for 46% of such deaths. In this study, we present our experience of trauma during pregnancy at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Methods: A standardized form was used to extract data from online records for all pregnant women who presented with traumatic injuries to the Aga Khan University Hospital from 2014 to 2019. Analysis was performed using SPSS v. 21. Chi-squared tests were performed for comparison of categorical data. Results: A total of 48 pregnant females with a mean age of 28.80 ± 6.50 years were included in this study. Road traffic accidents (RTA) accounted for the commonest cause of injury in the first (66.7%) and second (65%) trimesters. However, fall (45.5%) followed by RTA (27.3%) was the most frequent mechanism of injury during the third trimester. Gunshot injuries were seen in 4 patients only. Overall, fetal ultrasound was the most commonly performed imaging (87.5%) followed by limb X-ray and focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) ultrasound. Out of total, 52.1% of the patients were surgically managed. Fetal demise in utero and spontaneous abortion was reported in 2 patients only. Conclusion: Road traffic accidents and falls comprise a significant burden of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In terms of prevention, several policies and interventions at the government level need to be introduced in order to reduce the incidence of traumatic events.