Managing Maternal Sepsis During and Following Pregnancy

The Managing Maternal Sepsis During and Following Pregnancy programme offers an up-to-date review of key guidance on the recognition and management of maternal sepsis and septic shock in the pregnancy and postpartum period. The two modules cover maternal sepsis caused by bacterial infection, as well as sepsis due to viral influenza with or without secondary bacterial infection.
The learning reflects the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Green-top Guideline No. 64 on Identifying and Manging Maternal Sepsis During and Following Pregnancy (published 8 December 2024) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's NG51 Guideline on Suspected Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management (published 13 July 2016).
This programme will be useful for anyone involved in the care of the woman during pregnancy and/or the postpartum period who is expected to recognise and manage sepsis as part of their clinical duties (including onward referral to secondary care as needed). This includes medical, midwifery and nursing staff and students.
Key learning outcomes include:
• Identifying who is at risk of maternal sepsis and septic shock, including measures to reduce this risk where possible.
• Recognising sepsis early in pregnancy and the postpartum period in primary and secondary care, including the use of an Early Warning System modified for obstetrics
• Understanding and initiating management steps early in a secondary care setting
• Recognising triggers for escalating to seniors and involving other specialties, such as critical care/ITU and microbiology
• Identifying any other special considerations in the management of maternal sepsis such as when to consider the birth of a baby in maternal sepsis and the neonatal management of babies born to mothers with maternal sepsis