Table 2 Classification of emergency obstetric care by availability of medical services, or signal functions [4,5,19]
Level of emergency obstetric care | Provision of signal functions |
|---|---|
Basic emergency obstetric care (BEmOC) | 1. Administration of parenteral antibiotics (for postpartum sepsis or complications of abortion) |
2. Administration of uterotonic drugs (i.e. parenteral oxytocin) (for prolonged or obstructed labor or postpartum hemorrhage) | |
3. Administration of parenteral anticonvulsants (i.e. magnesium sulfate) (for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia) | |
4. Manual removal of placenta (for postpartum hemorrhage) | |
5. Removal of retained products (e.g. manual vacuum extraction, dilation and curettage) (for postpartum sepsis, postpartum hemorrhage, or complications of abortion) | |
6. Assisted vaginal delivery (e.g. vacuum extraction, forceps delivery) (for prolonged or obstructed labor) | |
7. Basic neonatal resuscitation (e.g. with bag and mask) (for prolonged or obstructed labor, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, or newborn distress) | |
Comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmOC) | CEmOC facilities offer all seven basic EmOC signal functions as well as: |
8. Surgery (e.g. Caesarean section) (for antepartum hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, prolonged or obstructed labor, postpartum sepsis, complications of abortion, newborn distress, uterine rupture, or ectopic pregnancy) | |
9. Blood transfusion (for antepartum hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage, complications of abortion, ectopic pregnancy, uterine rupture) |