Background: The analysis of extreme maternal morbidity (EMM) is important to identify opportunities for improvement in the care of pregnant women, a significant proportion of patients with EMM events are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)

Objectives: Determine the maternal and perinatal outcomes in women admitted to a Colombian tertiary center ICU and intermediate care unit (IMCU)  between December 2023 and August 2024.

Methodology: Cross-sectional descriptive observational study in pregnant and postpartum women admitted to a Colombian tertiary center ICU and IMCU between December 2023 and August 2024.

Results: 81 cases were studied, 34 (41.9%) were admitted to the ICU and 47 (58.1%) in the IMCU. At the time of admission, there were 47 (58%) postpartum patients, 28 (34%) pregnant patients, and 6 (7.4%) post-laparotomy patients. The main cause of admission to the ICU/IMCU was a severe systemic infection (30.9%), followed by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (29.6%) and major obstetric hemorrhages (16.1%). Out of all women admitted 12 (14.8%) required mechanical ventilation, and 15(18.5%), required vasopressors. There was 1 (1.23%) maternal death. There were 74 births, the remaining cases were 7 ectopic pregnancies and one termination.  Out of the 74 births, 33 (44.5%) were premature, and 7 (9.45%) were perinatal mortalities.

Conclusion: Most obstetric patients are admitted to the ICU/IMCU postpartum. The main causes of admission were severe systemic infections and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. There was a high prevalence of preterm birth and perinatal mortality related to the critical situation that explained admission to the ICU/IMCU.

Norma Juliana Rocha is a third-year OBGYN resident at Universidad Industrial de Santander, passionate about public health and the prevention of maternal death. Dr. Luz Ángela Gutierrez is an associate professor at Universidad Industrial de Santander and a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist, her research on Zika virus disease during the 2016 outbreak in South America was groundbreaking. Dr. Sonia Osma is an associate professor at Universidad Industrial de Santander, she is an OBGYN with a master's in Epidemiology and has published in reputed journals about maternal health and breast cancer.