Evaluation of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria for the diagnosis of sepsis due to maternal bacteremia.

Objective: To examine, in the setting of maternal bacteremia, the implications for the diagnosis of maternal sepsis of customizing the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria for physiologic changes of pregnancy.

Methods: Women with maternal bacteremia in a tertiary maternity hospital during 2009-2014 were identified. Records were retrospectively reviewed to determine whether they fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of sepsis based on either the standard SIRS parameters derived from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign or SIRS parameters customized for pregnancy.