Obstetric Disorders and Critical Illness

Pregnant and peripartum women rarely require the care of intensivists. However, they may need ICU level care for a variety of conditions-some unrelated to pregnancy, and some that are directly related to pregnancy. We have discussed the diagnosis and management of these obstetric critical illnesses here, as they may be somewhat less familiar to medical intensivists than the nonobstetric indications for ICU admission (septic shock, for example) and also a few non-obstetric conditions that create significant morbidity and mortality in pregnant patients. Although the care of critically ill pregnant and peripartum women should remain a collaborative effort between the intensivists, obstetricians, MFM, and other relevant specialists involved with a given patient, our hope is that this article has provided a framework to guide more informed, medically sophisticated conversations among all participants in the care team.