Pregnancy and childbirth are major life events and all
pregnancies involve a certain degree of risk to both mother and baby. While
many pregnancies are without any complications, some encounter life-threatening
events for the mother or for the fetus.
When critical complications arise during pregnancy,
patients may need care from specialists in a health care facility that offers
specialized, intensive care to ensure the best possible outcomes for mothers
and babies alike.
The Medical City (TMC) is home to one of the country’s
few maternal intensive care units that provides comprehensive high-risk
perinatal services combined with holistic care by experienced, highly-skilled
medical professionals.
TMC recently launched its expanded Maternal Intensive
Care Unit (MICU) to accommodate more high-risk patients. Strategically located
within the Delivery Suite, the MICU offers more privacy for the care of
high-risk mothers and provides adequate space for the multidisciplinary team of
experts so they can attend to their patients with ease. Maximizing TMC's broad
range of medical fields with the highest levels of expertise, MICU offers
intensive monitoring of mother and baby in close coordination with other
clinical departments, such as nursing, internal medicine, and surgery, among
others.
Previously, the MICU could only accommodate up to two
patients at a time. The new and enhanced MICU now has seven beds, each equipped
with a continuous electronic fetal monitor connected to a central monitor,
which allows close and strict antenatal surveillance.
Medical devices such as fetal heart rate monitoring
devices, maternal vital signs monitors (for blood pressure, pulse, and other
signs), and an ultrasound machine are ready for use when necessary. Other
equipment such as infusion pumps, blood warmers, and blood filters are also
available. The specialty beds have removable headboards and adjustable
positions. Adequate lighting for bedside procedures, suction equipment and
hypo/hyperthermia blankets are also readily available when needed.
Whether a pregnancy is considered high-risk due to
hypertension or a heart condition, multiple births, diabetes and other
endocrine disorders, or for any other reason, MICU's
highly trained team works together to give the mother and
baby the best care possible. The multidisciplinary team is usually composed of
experts from Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neonatology, Obstetrical
Anesthesia, Genetics, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Nursing, and Laboratory
departments.
"Our goal at the Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology is to deliver the most comprehensive quality care for all mothers
including high-risk pregnant mothers and their babies. The recent expansion of
the MICU and the establishment of the High Risk Clinic will be crucial for us
to attain this goal," says Dr. Cecilia Vicencio, Chair of the TMC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
"With our team of experienced and competent medical
professionals, modern facilities, and advanced technology, we would like to
reach more patients especially those needing our expertise in perinatal
care," adds Dr. Irene Quinio, Training Officer of the Section of
Perinatology.
The MICU accepts patients with critical complications of
pregnancy including hypertensive disorders, preterm labor, second and third
trimester bleeding, disorders of the amniotic fluid, fetal growth restriction,
and complicated multi-fetal pregnancies (discordant twins, one
fetal-death-in-utero, and conjoined twins).
Expectant mothers with worsening or poor control of
medical conditions but not requiring intensive care at the Adult ICU are also
eligible for MICU admission. These medical conditions include diabetes
mellitus, heart disease, bronchial asthma, chronic hypertensive vascular
disease, hematologic and neurologic disorders, and maternal infections such as
pneumonia, pyelonephritis, acute gastroenteritis, pulmonary tuberculosis.
Dr. Quinio adds that pregnant patients whose medical
conditions are stable but the fetal condition is a priority are likewise
admitted at the MICU. An example is a
mother with fetal heart rate abnormalities that warrant close fetal monitoring
and may require immediate interventions and invasive procedures. These patients
would benefit most from a referral to the Perinatology service.
Other conditions requiring admission to the MICU include
post-operative pregnant patients with stable hemodynamic status; those with
multiple injuries but with stable cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic status;
those with toxic ingestion and drug overdose but with no threat of acute
decompensation of major organ systems; and severely-ill pregnant patients who
are ideally admitted in the Adult ICU but are in active labor.
In case there is a need for immediate delivery and the
baby needs special attention, TMC also has a developmentally supportive,
family-centered Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This unit specializes in the care
of critically ill or premature newborn infants and is staffed by competent neonatologists
and other allied medical practitioners.
Outpatient continuity of care is provided to patients
previously admitted to the MICU through the High Risk Clinic located in the
Women’s Health Care Center. The High Risk Clinic is a venue for consultation
with TMC’s Perinatologists who specialize in the care of high risk pregnancies.
For more information, please call the Women's Health Care
Center at 9881000 ext. 6336 or visit
http://www.themedicalcity.com/services/department-of-obstetrics-and-gynecology.
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