OBJECTIVE:

Identify and describe, in a limited population sample, the omissions in the health care process in cases of maternal death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This is a descriptive and retrospective study. Four federal referral hospitals were selected, located in Mexico City and the cases of maternal death occurred between January 2010 and December 2017. For the identification of the omissions in the care process, 11 variables of the opinion were studied. of maternal death: opportunity of clinical diagnosis, treatment granted, care of complications, prenatal care, opportunity for medical attention, record of data in the file, predictability of maternal death and avoidable deaths by the hospital.

RESULTS:

150 cases of maternal death were reviewed. 36% of the cases were ruled as preventable deaths by the hospital and 71% as preventable deaths by diagnosis. Ninety-two patients (61%) did not receive prenatal care; in 52 cases (35%), the medical records in the clinical file were incomplete.

CONCLUSIONS:

The opinions drawn up by the Committees indicate the actions that were not carried out during the care process. The underreporting of data in the clinical files is an omission that negatively affects the analysis of the cases and the integration of the opinions by the committees. The high percentage of preventability and predictability of the cases, reflects probable deficiencies during the attention in different areas and allows to define corrective actions to reduce their occurrence.