Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in ICU Admissions Among Obstetric Patients at a Tertiary Urban Center
Martin, V.
Show abstract
We aimed to evaluate disparities in perinatal ICU admissions at an urban medical center and to contextualize these findings relative to national U.S. data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To do so, we performed a retrospective review of all pregnant and < 6-week postpartum patients admitted to the ICU between October 2023 and June 2025. The cohort included 58 patients: 81% were non-Hispanic Black, and 91% were publicly insured. These local data can be compared to national data, which demonstrate higher rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and ICU admission among Black patients and those insured by Medicaid. In 2023, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 18.6 per 100,000 live births, down from 22.3 in 2022. However, significant disparities persist, with mortality rates of 50.3 per 100,000 among Black women compared with 14.5 per 100,000 among White women. The most frequently reported indications for obstetric ICU admission include hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, obstetric hemorrhage, and severe underlying medical comorbidities.
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