Abstract

Maternal collapse is a rare event and is life threatening if not managed timely. The maternal and neonatal outcome depends on the cause of collapse, the gestational age at the time of incident and the management received. Most common causes of collapse are vaso-vagal syncope or epilepsy and most common cause of maternal death is hemorrhage. The normal physiological changes in pregnancy predispose the pregnant mother to risk of collapse and difficulty in resuscitation. Sub-standard care is the predisposing factor responsible for maternal collapse in majority cases. This review is planned with the aim of providing in brief the causes of maternal collapse and its initial management.

Keywords: Maternal collapse;Cardiopulmonary resuscitation;Intensive care;Perimortem cesarean