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Question 661
Clinical Management → Clinical Practice
Classification
Question
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Maternal sepsis
Question Stem
An unwell pregnant or recently pregnant woman may have sepsis. Which management message is specifically highlighted in the maternal mortality report quoted ?
Options
A
Wait for microbiological confirmation before treatment
B
Recognise sepsis early, give rapid antibiotics and obtain senior medical and midwifery review
C
Offer influenza vaccination only after the puerperium
D
Avoid senior review until shock develops
E
Classify all sepsis deaths as indirect maternal deaths
Explanation
The “Think sepsis” message emphasises keeping the diagnosis in mind early in an unwell pregnant or recently pregnant woman. The key actions given are early diagnosis, rapid antibiotics and review by senior doctors and midwives.
Option Validity
A) early diagnosis and rapid antibiotics rather than waiting for microbiological confirmation.
C) pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy should be offered influenza vaccination, not only after the puerperium.
D) Senior medical and midwifery review is part of the early management described and is not deferred until shock.
E) There is no requirement that that every sepsis death is indirect; maternal-death classification depends on the underlying direct or indirect cause.
Further Reading
Saxena MRCOG-1 Basic Sciences — Principles of Clinical Practice, printed p. 6.