CRITICAL CONDITIONS IN OBSTETRICS: HYPERTENSIVE DISORDERS, SEPSIS, AND SUDDEN MATERNAL COLLAPSE
Keywords:
preeclampsia; eclampsia; hypertensive crisis; obstetric sepsis; amniotic fluid embolism; anaphylaxis; cardiac arrest; perimortem cesarean deliveryAbstract
Critical obstetric conditions are characterized by rapid deterioration of vital functions and require the simultaneous achievement of two priorities: maternal stabilization and minimization of fetal risk. The most common “entry points” include severe arterial hypertension with seizures, infectious–septic complications, acute respiratory/hemodynamic collapse (including amniotic fluid embolism), anaphylaxis, and cardiac arrest. Despite diverse etiologies, successful care relies on a unified framework: early recognition based on “red flags,” coordinated team response, the ABCDE approach, and protocol-driven escalation of therapy.
Downloads
References
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia (Practice Bulletin No. 222). Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2020;135(6):e237–e260.
Evans L, Rhodes A, Alhazzani W, et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2021. Intensive Care Medicine. 2021;47:1181–1247.
Society of Critical Care Medicine. Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines 2021 (executive summary and supporting documents). 2021.
American Heart Association. Cardiac Arrest in Pregnancy In‑Hospital ACLS Algorithm. 2020.
Lipman S, Cohen SE, Einav S, et al. The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology consensus statement on the management of cardiac arrest in pregnancy. Anesthesia & Analgesia. 2014;118(5):1003–1016.
Clark SL, Romero R, Dildy GA, et al. Proposed diagnostic criteria for the case definition of amniotic fluid embolism in research studies. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;215(4):408–412.
Katz VL, Dotters DJ, Droegemueller W. Perimortem cesarean delivery. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 1986;68(4):571–576.
World Health Organization. Maternal sepsis: clinical considerations and global guidance (definition and implementation resources). 2017.
Local emergency obstetric care protocol (internal document). 2024.
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2026-02-22 (2)
- 2026-02-22 (1)
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All content published in the Journal of Applied Science and Social Science (JASSS) is protected by copyright. Authors retain the copyright to their work, and grant JASSS the right to publish the work under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This license allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author(s) for the original creation.