Sepsis in obstetrics: cause, prevention, and treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of the study was to provide a summary of recent guidance on sepsis in obstetrics.

RECENT FINDINGS: Morbidity and mortality from sepsis is increasing in the UK and other developed countries. In many cases, care has been found to be substandard. Common themes are a failure to recognize and respond to the sick woman and inadequate antibiotic and fluid management in the septic parturient.

SUMMARY: Increased awareness of obstetric sepsis is required. Women and their families need to be informed about it and staff must have the skills and competencies to recognize this early. The management of severe sepsis in obstetrics is multidisciplinary. Implementation of the goals of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign into obstetric practice is important to improve outcomes. More research is needed to validate the parameters used in this and early warning scores for the obstetric population.