Emergency drills in obstetrics: reducing risk of perinatal death or permanent injury.

This article describes the need for mock emergency drills in perinatal emergencies such as shoulder dystocia, maternal hemorrhage, and emergency cesarean section. Effective drills are a patient safety initiative to reduce medical errors and adverse events during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Successful strategies are identified from other fields of practice to improve patient outcomes. Realistic, institutional specific scenarios for mock emergency drills result in improved team behaviors leading to better outcomes for mothers and infants.