Table 4

A comparison of near-miss events and primary causes of maternal deaths

Complication
NME
*Maternal deaths
P
LTOC (%)
Mortality index (%)

n (%)
n (%)

n (%)


Haemorrhage
73 (30.2)
9 (22.0)
0.284
82 (29.0)
11.0






Early pregnancy
24 (9.9)
1 (2.4)
0.145
25 (8.8)
4.0
Ectopic pregnancy
24
1
0.145
25 (8.8)
4.0
Abortion
0
0

0.0 (0.0)
0.0






Late pregnancy
49 (20.2)
8 (19.5)
0.914
57 (20.1)
14.0
Placenta praevia
8
0
0.608
8 (2.8)
0.0
Abruptio placentae
11
0
0.376
11 (3.9)
0.0
Postpartum haemorrhage
30
8
0.217
38 (13.4)
21.1






Hypertension
76 (31.4)
13 (31.7)
0.969
89 (31.4)
14.6
Eclampsia
39
10
0.195
49 (17.3)
20.4
Severe pre-eclampsia
37
3
0.175
40 (14.1)
7.5






Dystocia
47 (19.4)
6 (14.6)
0.467
53 (18.7)
11.3
Uterine rupture
10
6
0.017
16 (5.7)
37.5
Impending rupture
37
0
0.007
37 (13.1)
0.0






Infection
20 (8.3)
8 (19.5)
0.042
28 (9.9)
28.6






Anaemia
26 (10.7)
5 (12.2)
0.787
31 (11.0)
16.1






Total
242 (100.0)
41 (100.0)

283 (100.0)
14.5

*Excluding anaesthetic death (n = 1), pulmonary embolism (n = 1) and pre-existing medical disease (n = 1)

Mortality index = maternal deaths divided by life-threatening obstetric conditions

LTOC: life-threatening obstetric condition

NME: near-miss events

Oladapo et al. Reproductive Health 2005 2:9   doi:10.1186/1742-4755-2-9