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Table 1 Case definitions for leading severe obstetric complications

From: Accounts of severe acute obstetric complications in Rural Bangladesh

 

Study Definition

WHO definition in verbal autopsy setting [27]

Hemorrhage

Profuse bleeding AND severe pallor

Pregnancy > 8 months, Severe vaginal bleedinga

Puerperal Sepsis

High fever in the 7 days after delivery

High fever AND having Vaginal delivery

  

> 1 day ago OR having Caesarean section

  

> 1 day ago

Eclampsia

Convulsions, excluding epilepsy [whole body swelling OR severe dizziness] AND NO high fever

Being pregnant > 5 months, delivery < 6 weeks ago, swollen upper extremity and/or face, convulsions, visual disturbances, hypertension, first birth, gastric pain, headache, and no fever

Obstructed Labor

Baby stuck at delivery AND length of labor >24 hours

Physical obstruction + >24H Labor

Induced Abortion

"Something done to end pregnancy" AND use of invasive procedure [e.g. insertion of object OR Menstrual Regulation OR D&C]

Termination of pregnancy or therapeutic abortion

  1. a The timing of the hemorrhage is used to classify the event as antepartum or postpartum. Severe vaginal bleeding before delivery is considered to be antepartum hemorrhage, while severe vaginal bleeding and delivery less than three days ago is considered as postpartum hemorrhage.