Obstetrics Gynaecology Emergency Procedure

---
name: obstetrics-gynaecology-emergency-procedure
description: |
  Respond to emergencies in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic calmly, in role and in the right order.
  TRIGGERS - Use when a obstetrician-gynaecologist needs a emergency response procedure for pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic.
category: Obstetrics & Gynaecology
license: MIT
version: 1.0
---
# Emergency Response Procedure — Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Respond to emergencies in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic calmly, in role and in the right order. The deliverable is an emergency procedure card: recognition, first actions, escalation and recording.
This skill is written for a obstetrician-gynaecologist working with pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic.

## When to use
- You are a obstetrician-gynaecologist preparing, delivering or reviewing this part of your work in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic.
- You need a defensible, repeatable approach that produces an emergency procedure card: recognition, first actions, escalation and recording.
- A colleague, auditor or client asks how this was done and what evidence supports it.

## Key Concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| Antenatal | before birth, during pregnancy |
| Pre-eclampsia | a pregnancy complication with high blood pressure |
| CTG | continuous monitoring of the baby's heartbeat and contractions |

## Workflow
1. **Step 1** - Recognise the emergency early: know the presentations that matter for pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions, especially pre-eclampsia missed
2. **Step 2** - Take the immediate actions a obstetrician-gynaecologist is trained and authorised for, using cardiotocography monitors as drilled
3. **Step 3** - Call for help with a structured message: location in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic, situation, what has been done, what is needed
4. **Step 4** - Keep pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions and bystanders informed and safe while help arrives; hand over with a concise summary
5. **Step 5** - Record the event fully in antenatal records afterwards, debrief the team, and update the procedure with lessons learned

## Profession-Specific Components
| Component | Details for Obstetrics & Gynaecology |
|-----------|-------------------------------|
| Core documentation | antenatal records; birth plans; ultrasound reports; operation notes |
| Core tools & equipment | cardiotocography monitors; ultrasound scanners; theatre equipment; colposcopes |
| People involved | pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions; the obstetrician-gynaecologist; colleagues and other services in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic |
| Primary record | antenatal records — keep it current, dated and attributable |

## Output Format
**Context:** [Situation in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic] | **Objective:** [What this must achieve] | **Audience:** [pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions and other stakeholders]

The finished output is an emergency procedure card: recognition, first actions, escalation and recording, structured as:
1. Summary of position and evidence
2. Detail, following the workflow above
3. Decisions, actions, owners and dates
4. Review point and escalation route

### Action Plan
1. **Immediate:** Confirm scope, consent and the evidence available in antenatal records.
2. **Short-term:** Complete the workflow steps and record outcomes against antenatal screening uptake.
3. **Medium-term:** Review results, close actions, and update local procedures in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic.

## Success Metrics
| Metric | Target | Method |
|--------|--------|--------|
| antenatal screening uptake | Agree a local target and track the trend | Measured from antenatal records and reviewed on a set cycle |
| caesarean section rate | Agree a local target and track the trend | Measured from antenatal records and reviewed on a set cycle |
| postpartum haemorrhage rate | Agree a local target and track the trend | Measured from antenatal records and reviewed on a set cycle |
| clinic waiting times | Agree a local target and track the trend | Measured from antenatal records and reviewed on a set cycle |

## Guardrails & Quality Checks
- Never let this happen: pre-eclampsia missed.
- Never let this happen: fetal distress not escalated.
- Never let this happen: heavy bleeding after birth.
- Work only within the competence and authority of a obstetrician-gynaecologist; escalate or refer anything beyond it.
- Record facts and observations, not speculation, and keep records confidential to a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic's rules.
- Verify names, dates, figures and measurements twice before anything is issued or signed off.
- Use only real, verified information from the case in hand — never invent results, credentials or evidence.

## Example (illustrative)
A obstetrician-gynaecologist in a maternity unit and gynaecology clinic applies this workflow for pregnant women and patients with reproductive health conditions: they open
antenatal records, work through the five steps using cardiotocography monitors, and close by recording
the outcome against antenatal screening uptake and agreeing the next review date. (Illustrative example only —
replace with the real details of the case in hand.)