When Postpartum Maternal Sepsis Is Fatal

Few population-based studies have addressed incidence and outcomes of maternal sepsis; thus, investigators queried the National Readmissions Database from 2013 to 2016, which encompasses almost 60% of the U.S. population regardless of payer status. Maternal sepsis was defined as occurring during hospitalization for delivery or within 6 weeks after discharge.

Incidence of maternal sepsis was 38 per 100,000 deliveries; half of episodes occurred during the delivery hospitalization and half during readmission. The most common site of infection was genitourinary. While mortality was low overall (3%), risk for fatal outcomes was higher during delivery hospitalization than readmission. In all, 23% of maternal deaths were due to sepsis.