An investigation of maternal mortality at a tertiary hospital of the Limpopo province of South Africa

Figures & data

Table 1: Trends in the MMR (2011–2015)

Year	Live births	Deaths	iMMR/100 000 Live births
2011	2621	47	1793.2
2012	2805	37	1319.1
2013	2908	52	1788.2
2014	3122	42	1345.3
2015	3229	54	1672.3
Total	14685	232	1579.8

Figure 1: Age distribution of the patients.

Table 2: Causes of maternal death at Pietersburg Hospital (n = 232)

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
Direct
Obstetric haemorrhage	8 (17)	9 (24)	9 (17)	3 (7)	19 (35)
Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia	13 (28)	7 (19)	9 (17)	5 (12)	6 (11)
Anaesthetic complications			1 (2)		1 (2)
Pregnancy related sepsis	7 (15)	6 (16)	5 (10)	9 (21)	5 (10)
Pulmonary embolism			3 (6)	2 (5)	2 (4)
Rupture ectopic pregnancy	1 (2)		1 (2)	2 (5)
Indirect causes
Medical/Surgical condition	8 (17)	7 (19)	10 (19)	10 (24)	11 (20)
Non-pregnancy related infections	7 (15)	7 (19)	13 (25)	7 (17)	8 (15)
Unknown	3 (6)	1 (3)	1 (2)	4 (10)	2 (4)
Total	47	37	52	42	54

Table 3: The causes of maternal deaths at Pietersburg Hospital (2011–2015)

	n	%
Direct
Obstetric haemorrhage	48	21
Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia	40	17
Anaesthetic complications (spinal)	2	1
Pregnancy related sepsis	32	14
Pulmonary embolism	7	3
Rupture ectopic pregnancy	4	2
Indirect causes
Medical/Surgical condition	46	20
Non-pregnancy related infections	42	18
Unknown	11	5
Total	232