Opening a Modern Trauma Center at UChicago Medicine: Ob-Gyn and the Pregnant Trauma Patient

Trauma affects up to 25% of all pregnancies with the need for hospital admission in 0.4% of all pregnancies. Over 50% of pregnant trauma patients are in the third trimester at the time of trauma. The most common mechanism of trauma is motor vehicle crash, followed by fall and assault. Penetrating trauma in pregnancy has been reported at rates of 6–9% of all pregnant trauma patients. Because trauma is the primary cause of non-obstetric related death during pregnancy, an institutional protocol was necessary to optimize the care of the pregnant trauma patient.