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Background <p>In Malawi, there is a limited understanding of the personal experiences of women who have survived severe maternal infections that led to sepsis and their perspectives on the care they received. It is essential to consider women’s experiences to improve the quality of care for severe maternal outcomes and provide responsive, patient-centered care. This study aimed to explore the experiences of maternal sepsis survivors in Malawi to improve sepsis care and management.</p> Methods <p>A qualitative descriptive design study was conducted from April to May 2023 in Blantyre, Malawi. Pregnant, postpartum, and postabortion women older than 16 years who had sepsis were included in the study via purposive sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the women’s homes or convenient locations. A thematic analysis was performed using the Three Delays and Respectful Maternity Care frameworks to analyse the interview data.</p> Results <p>Women with sepsis faced multiple barriers to accessing care, mainly delays in receiving adequate and appropriate care at health facilities. The key barriers mentioned by participants highlighted the inadequate monitoring, inadequate clinical management of infections, delays in diagnosis and treatment, and delays in providing lifesaving obstetric skills at the health facility. Some women also experienced mistreatment by healthcare providers, such as verbal abuse, neglect, abandonment, lack of dignity, disrespect, denial of care, and inequitable treatment. Additionally, some women continue to experience long-term physical and psychological complications from maternal sepsis.</p> Conclusion <p>Understanding patient experiences is essential for improving the quality of maternal sepsis care and management. Patient narratives can inform policy and maternal healthcare, highlighting the need for feedback-based systems. These insights are relevant to other resource-constrained settings facing high maternal infection rates. Comprehensive, patient-centred interventions are crucial for managing maternal infections which lead to sepsis, thus reducing preventable morbidity and mortality.</p>

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Understanding the maternal sepsis patient journey in Malawi: “I called for help, but they showed no interest in helping me”

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月30日

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  • Yamikani Chimwaza,
  • Chikondi Chapuma,
  • Chifundo Ndamala,
  • Emily Lifa,
  • Mercy Machilika,
  • Bernard Dossie,
  • Meliya Kwelepeta,
  • Bertha Maseko,
  • David Lissauer,
  • Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando,
  • Maria Lisa Odland

摘要

Background

In Malawi, there is a limited understanding of the personal experiences of women who have survived severe maternal infections that led to sepsis and their perspectives on the care they received. It is essential to consider women’s experiences to improve the quality of care for severe maternal outcomes and provide responsive, patient-centered care. This study aimed to explore the experiences of maternal sepsis survivors in Malawi to improve sepsis care and management.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive design study was conducted from April to May 2023 in Blantyre, Malawi. Pregnant, postpartum, and postabortion women older than 16 years who had sepsis were included in the study via purposive sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the women’s homes or convenient locations. A thematic analysis was performed using the Three Delays and Respectful Maternity Care frameworks to analyse the interview data.

Results

Women with sepsis faced multiple barriers to accessing care, mainly delays in receiving adequate and appropriate care at health facilities. The key barriers mentioned by participants highlighted the inadequate monitoring, inadequate clinical management of infections, delays in diagnosis and treatment, and delays in providing lifesaving obstetric skills at the health facility. Some women also experienced mistreatment by healthcare providers, such as verbal abuse, neglect, abandonment, lack of dignity, disrespect, denial of care, and inequitable treatment. Additionally, some women continue to experience long-term physical and psychological complications from maternal sepsis.

Conclusion

Understanding patient experiences is essential for improving the quality of maternal sepsis care and management. Patient narratives can inform policy and maternal healthcare, highlighting the need for feedback-based systems. These insights are relevant to other resource-constrained settings facing high maternal infection rates. Comprehensive, patient-centred interventions are crucial for managing maternal infections which lead to sepsis, thus reducing preventable morbidity and mortality.