Patient selection: woman following delivery with sepsis (defined as septicemia plus dysfunction in one or more organs) requiring hospital readmission
Early sepsis: < 6 weeks
Late sepsis: 6 to 39 weeks (9 months)
Most common types of underlying infection: UTI or pyelonephritis, pneumonia
Risk factors for sepsis:
(1) preterm birth (<= 28 weeks aOR 5.2; 29 to 32 weeks aOR 3.9; 33 to 36 weeks aOR 2.2)
(2) hemorrhage at delivery (adjusted odds ratio 3.0)
(3) obesity (BMI 30 to 34.9 aOR 1.3; BMI 35 to 39.9 aOR 1.8; BMI>=40 aOR 2.3)
(4) government-provided insurance (adjusted odds ratio 1.6)
(5) method of delivery (failed TOLAC aOR 1.8; primary cesarean section aOR 2.0)
(6) pregestational diabetes mellitus (adjusted odds ratio 3.4)
(7) autoimmune disease (adjusted odds ratio 9.6)
where:
• TOLAC = trial of labor after cesarean
• Hispanic ethnicity associated with low rate of sepsis (aOR 0.6).