Institutional response to obstetric emergencies in the institutions providing health services of the health service providers in the Department of Cesar

Abstract

Introduction. Obstetric emergencies endanger the lives of women during pregnancy and/or childbirth and/or the fetus.
Objective. To determine the institutional capacity to respond to obstetric emergencies in eleven priority healthcare institutions in the department of Cesar.
Materials and Methods. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Convenience sampling of eleven priority health institutions to be evaluated with the ISABEL survey, identified in a working group with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Cesar Departmental Secretariat due to the increase in maternal morbidity and mortality in the last two years.
Results. The institutional response capacity shows that a high percentage of IPSs perform well. However, in relation to prevention and recognition standards, a very low percentage of institutions have systems for estimating bleeding volume, which can hinder the early identification of obstetric hemorrhage, a potentially fatal obstetric emergency.
Conclusions: A high score on the ISABEL survey does not guarantee the prevention of serious or fatal complications in pregnant women due to the complexity of multi-organ responses. There is a clear need for each institution to achieve 100% compliance with minimum preparedness standards, which will require investment.