The Critical Care Obstetrics Podcast

Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for approximately half of strokes during pregnancy and is a leading cause of disability which underscores the need for quick intervention if suspected. Julie Arafeh shares SCANME, a cognitive aid for perinatal stroke recently discussed in the first Annual Virtual Conference on Obstetric Life Support (OBLS) by Dr. Eliza Miller and found in the OBLS Manual. The experts at...

Dr Stephanie Martin interviews a survivor of a stroke after the birth of her child. All of us can learn from listening to this patient's story. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medical Director for Clinic...

Dr. Stephanie Martin interviews Kayleigh Summers, The Birth Trauma Mama. Kayleigh Summers is a licensed therapist and private practice owner in Downingtown, PA. She specializes in perinatal trauma and has specific training in both perinatal mental health and EMDR. Kayleigh uses her training as a licensed therapist and her lived experience as an Amniotic Fluid Embolism survivor to treat and support...

Julie, Suzanne and Stephanie are back discussing the latest data on maternal mortality in the US.  The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medical Director for Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics and a Maternal Fetal Med...

Suzanne and Stephanie discuss an unusual case demonstrating  the multi system effects of preeclampsia. Listen and learn as they walk through the issues this patient encountered. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is th...

Suzanne and Stephanie discuss a case of peripartum sepsis. Listen and learn how to recognize the pathophysiologic changes that happen in a septic patient. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medical Director for...

In this episode Dr Stephanie Martin highlights Talking Points about COVID in Pregnancy. By the end of the podcast, we hope each of you listening will have some take away information that you can share with patients, colleagues, family members, really anyone who asks you - what does it mean to be pregnant and have COVID19? The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experie...

This podcast reviews the technique of deliberate practice that can be used during simulation based training for complex events like maternal cardiac arrest. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medical Director fo...

Discover seven steps that can help your unit move closer to highly reliable patient care where the patient receives the same care regardless of who is on the unit, the time of day or day of the week.  These seven steps are illustrated in a case study of severe maternal hemorrhage. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant wom...

Stephanie and Suzanne interview Amber Latsch, a Certified Nurse Midwife and survivor of Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy. When giving birth to her twins in 2019, Amber became gravely ill and was diagnosed with Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy. Amber's perspective is unique as a both a practicing midwife and survivor of critical illness during her pregnancy. Fortunately, she and the twins recovere...

This is the second episode in a 3 part series on amniotic fluid embolism. In this episode we discuss management principles for a patient with an AFE and introduce the 3 B's when dealing with AFE. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr...

This is the last episode in our 3 part series on amniotic fluid embolism. In this episode we use an actual patient case to discuss how simulation can help teams prepare for this complex emergency. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Ste...

This is the first episode in a 3 part series on amniotic fluid embolism. In this episode we review the clinical presentation and diagnostic criteria for AFE. We also debunk some of the myths about AFE. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. D...

Miranda Klassen is the Executive Director of the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation, a non-profit advocacy and research organization she founded in 2008 after surviving an AFE during the birth of her son. Miranda is also an investigator for the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Registry, which she co-founded at Baylor College of Medicine. Ms. Klassen is a frequent speaker, panelist, and lecturer on amniotic...

In healthcare, a chaotic approach to emergencies is often accepted as  normal. When you try to implement things that take the chaos out of the emergency, it is not unusual to meet resistance. So what are the benefits and challenges in implementing the use of checklists in obstetric emergencies?  The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically i...

By popular request, we explore a sepsis case study in this episode. Listen as Dr. Stephanie Martin and Suzanne McMurtry Baird take you through the case of a postpartum woman with sepsis. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Mar...

In this episode we follow up on our peripartum cardiomyopathy patient and discuss how to maximize cardiac function and prepare for potential complications in anticipation of delivery. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin...

In this episode we present a case and discuss common presentation for peripartum cardiomyopathy and how to evaluate  women suspected of having peripartum cardiomyopathy. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medica...

In this episode, we discuss a case of a woman with Mitral Stenosis, following her through her pregnancy and delivery. We highlight the key management principles in an easy to understand way. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie...

Preparing to care for a pregnant woman with complex cardiac disease can be a daunting task. Listen as Stephanie, Julie, and Suzanne share their experience and provide guidance on how simulation can help your preparations. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these...

Preparing to care for a pregnant woman with complex cardiac disease can be a daunting task. Listen as Stephanie, Julie, and Suzanne share their experience and provide guidance on how to prepare nurses to care for these complex patients.  The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in...

Suzanne McMurtry Baird interviews Susan Drummond, RN about how to utilize critical thinking skills to interpret fetal heart rate monitoring. Susan Drummond is a Senior Associate in the Department of OBGyn at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and an AWHONN EFM Instructor and Instructor Trainer. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critica...

Suzanne McMurtry Baird and Stephanie Martin discuss key things to know when caring for a critically ill postpartum patient in an ICU. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medical Director for Clinical Concepts in...

Suzanne McMurtry Baird and Stephanie Martin share their insight on early recognition of  vital sign abnormalities.  The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to discuss the challenges encountered in caring for these vulnerable women. Dr Stephanie Martin is the Medical Director for Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics and a M...

In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Martin interviews Dr. Afshan Hameed, an expert in Maternal Fetal medicine and Cardiology. They discuss how to assess the pregnant patient with cardiac disease and how to distinguish potential cardiac issues form normal pregnancy complaints. The experts at Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics pool their decades of experience caring for critically ill pregnant women to disc...