“
“Objectives: The analysis of maternal mortality is an important instrument for quality assurance in Obstetrics and should be accomplished periodically. This study analysed cases of maternal mortality between 1995 and 2004.

Methods: The Federal Statistical Office (BFS) provided

all death certificates between 1995 and 2004 with an ICD-10 code in the obstetric field (indicated by the letter 0). Selleck BMS-754807 Additionally, all maternal mortality cases from the archive of the Institute of Legal Medicine (IRM), in Zurich, were investigated. All clinics with a maternal mortality case were asked to fill out a detailed anonymous questionnaire. The cases were classified by ICD-10 in direct, indirect and non-pregnancy-related cases.

Results: This study analysed 50 maternal mortality cases. The mean maternal age was 32 years and 50% had foreign nationality. Haemorrhage (including EUG) was the cause of death in 13 women, nine women died of thromboembolism and six women each of preeclampsia buy Linsitinib or primary infection. Other causes of death were cerebral bleeding, amniotic fluid embolism and others. We classified 32 cases as direct obstetric deaths, which resulted in a direct maternal mortality ratio of 4.15/100 000 live births. Direct maternal mortality associated with caesarean section was 0.06 parts

per thousand (11/177 000 caesarean sections [average estimate]) and the underreporting was 20%.

Conclusions: Compared to the prior 10-year-period, the maternal mortality ratio decreased from 5.54 to 4.15. The mortality associated with caesarean section decreased

4.5 times. Women at risk are older mothers and those with a non-Swiss nationality, specifically non-Western nationalities. The most common cause of death in this period was haemorrhage, whereas in the previous period most women died of thromboembolism.”
“Aims: Two recent meta-analyses have shown a survival advantage for the addition of concurrent chemotherapy to radiotherapy in the treatment of cervical cancer. However, there is insufficient information available on late toxicity and few data from UK practice. The aims of this study were to examine treatment outcomes (survival see more and toxicity) in patients with cervical cancer treated with chemoradiation and to compare these with outcomes in patients treated with radiation alone.

Materials and methods: Between July 2000 and December 2003, 75 patients with cervical cancer were treated with chemoradiation. Case notes were reviewed retrospectively. Acute and late toxicity were recorded, with late toxicity graded using the Franco-Italian glossary. The median age was 47 years. All patients were staged with examination under anaesthesia and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Forty-two patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiation alone and 33 patients were treated with a combination of neoadjuvant and concurrent chemoradiation.