Abstract
BACKGROUND: An early warning score can be used to identify worsening in obstetric patients as they are more prone for deterioration. This study was conducted to evaluate and validate the performance of the modified early obstetric warning system (MEOWS) as a screening tool for early prediction of severe obstetric morbidity. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted at obstetrics and gynaecology department, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. A total of 1800 patients were included over a period of 10 month, from December 2021 to September 2022. Study population included all pregnant women admitted in labour room with > 28 weeks of gestation till 6 weeks postpartum. MEOWS charts were plotted for each patient, score calculated and documented at admission. Patients were categorized based on this score for further management, and follow-up was made till discharge. Outcome assessment was done in terms of ICU admission, length of hospital stays, obstetric morbidity, and maternal mortality. Correlation of each outcome with scoring was evaluated. RESULTS: The sensitivity of MEOWS in predicting maternal morbidity was 72.91%, specificity 91.87%, positive predictive value 85.96%, and negative predictive value 83.24%. The area under receiver operator characteristic of MEOWS for prediction of maternal mortality was 0.79 (95% CI 0.75-0.82). CONCLUSION: MEOWS helps in early recognition of obstetric morbidity even before signs, and symptoms become clinically evident. It is a useful tool for predicting adverse maternal outcome in pregnant women.