The continuum of maternal morbidity and mortality: factors associated with severity.

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine whether sociodemographic, clinical, and other service-related factors, as well as preventability issues affect a woman's progression along the continuum of morbidity and mortality.

Study Design: This was a case-control study of pregnancy-related deaths, women with near-miss morbidity, and those with other severe, but not life threatening, morbidity. Factors associated with maternal outcome were examined.

International Classification of Diseases-9th revision coding for preeclampsia: how accurate is it?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the International Classification of Diseases-9th revision codes for preeclampsia and eclampsia.

Study Design: The University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago discharge database was used to identify 135 women from 1999 through 2001 whose disease was coded as having preeclampsia or eclampsia. With American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology criteria as the gold standard, the diagnosis that was determined through chart review was compared with the International Classification of Diseases-9th revision code that was present in the discharge database.