Measurement of the prevalence of intervention/complication in puerperal women attending a university hospital during the pandemic of COVID-19 by the maternity safety thermometer

Abstract

Objectives: measuring the prevalence of interventions and/or complications based on the Maternity Safety Thermometer (MST) criteria and verifying associations with sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric factors. Methods: prospective observational study conducted with postpartum women admitted to the maternity ward of a tertiary hospital, from October 10th to December 30th, 2020. Data were collected from medical records and self-administered questionnaires from 260 patients. Results: harm-free care was detected in 17.7% of participants, 66.9% had low-temperature damage (one or less intervention/complication) and 33.1% of patients had elevated temperature damage (two or more intervention/complication). The most frequent intervention was the “scar”, given that 38.5% had abdominal scarring (cesarean section) and 26.5% had perineal scarring (2nd-degree tear or greater – spontaneous or by episiotomy). The second most frequent MST item was related to the perception of safety (30%), followed by complications to the newborn (12.3%), infection (11.2%), and hemorrhage (9.2%). Factors related to high temperature were: being of social class A or B, having a previous cesarean section, and being hospitalized during pregnancy. Conclusions: one-third of the participating women had two or more complications/interventions (high temperature by the MST), factors that are related to this temperature were: being of social class A or B, having a previous cesarean section, and being hospitalized during pregnancy.

Biases in association with complications in puerperae during the pandemic

“…Nandi et al 5 study addresses the perineal complications of the postpartum period during the Covid-19 pandemic. Wisely, the authors approached conditioning clinical-gestational as well as the contextual in association with the onset of postpartum complications.…”

Vieses na associação com as complicações de puerperas durante a pandemia

“…O estudo de Nandi et al 5 aborda as complicações perineais do pós-parto no período pandêmico da Covid-19. Sabiamente, os autores abordam condicionantes clinico-gestacionais assim como os contextuais na associação com o surgimento de complicações no pós-parto.…”