Abstract
Sepsis is the systemic effect of infection. It is a significant cause of maternal death. Severe sepsis occurs in around 1 in 2000 pregnancies with septic shock occurring in around 1 in 10,000 pregnancies. It is an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity but also has fetal implications as maternal infection, particularly around the time of labour can also be associated with adverse fetal outcome. Whilst there is clear evidence that the prompt treatment of maternal infection can improve maternal outcomes the evidence for the improvement of fetal outcomes is more difficult. Litigation in relation to sepsis focuses upon whether the infection could have been prevented, whether it was suspected or identified at an early enough point and then whether the treatment support and source control of infection were managed in an appropriate way. These matters will be considered.
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Tuffnell, D.J. (2018). Sepsis in Pregnancy. In: Jha, S., Ferriman, E. (eds) Medicolegal Issues in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78683-4_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78683-4_30
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