Umbilical cord blood exosomes from very preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia aggravate lung injury in mice.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by abnormal development of the blood vessels and alveoli in lungs, which largely occurs in premature infants. Exosomes (EXO) from very preterm infants (VPI) with BPD (BPD-EXO) impair angiogenic activities of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via EXO-miRNAs cargo. This study aimed to determine whether and how BPD-EXO affect the development of BPD in a mouse model. We showed that treating BPD mice with BPD-EXO chronically and irreversibly aggravated lung injury. BPD-EXO up-regulated 139 and down-regulated 735 genes in the mouse lung tissue. These differentially expressed genes were enriched to the MAPK pathway (e.g., Fgf9 and Cacna2d3), which is critical to angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. BPD-EXO suppressed expression of Fgf9 and Cacna2d3 in HUVECs and inhibited migration, tube formation, and increased cell apoptosis in HUVECs. These data demonstrate that BPD-EXO aggravate lung injury in BPD mice and impair lung angiogenesis, plausibly leading to adverse outcomes of VPI with BPD. These data also suggest that BPD-EXO could serve as promising targets for predicting and treating BPD.

Umbilical cord blood-derived exosomes from healthy term pregnancies protect against hyperoxia-induced lung injury in mice.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic, devastating disease primarily occurring in premature infants. To date, intervention strategies to prevent or treat BPD are limited. We aimed to determine the effects of umbilical cord blood-derived exosomes (UCB-EXOs) from healthy term pregnancies on hyperoxia-induced lung injury and to identify potential targets for BPD intervention. A mouse model of hyperoxia-induced lung injury was created by exposing neonatal mice to hyperoxia after birth until the 14th day post birth. Age-matched neonatal mice were exposed to normoxia as the control. Hyperoxia-induced lung injury mice were intraperitoneally injected with UCB-EXO or vehicle daily for 3 days, starting on day 4 post birth. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were insulted with hyperoxia to establish an in vitro model of BPD to investigate angiogenesis dysfunction. Our results showed that UCB-EXO alleviated lung injuries in hyperoxia-insulted mice by reducing histopathological grade and collagen contents in the lung tissues. UCB-EXO also promoted vascular growth and increased miR-185-5p levels in the lungs of hyperoxia-insulted mice. Additionally, we found that UCB-EXO elevated miR-185-5p levels in HUVECs. MiR-185-5p overexpression inhibited cell apoptosis, whereas promoted cell migration in HUVECs exposed to hyperoxia. The luciferase reporter assay results revealed that miR-185-5p directly targeted cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), which was downregulated in the lungs of hyperoxia-insulted mice. Together, these data suggest that UCB-EXO from healthy term pregnancies protect against hyperoxia-induced lung injuries via promoting neonatal pulmonary angiogenesis partially by elevating miR-185-5p.

The Effects of Diatomite as an Additive on the Macroscopic Properties and Microstructure of Concrete.

Diatomite is a siliceous sedimentary rock containing amorphous silica, which can be used as a green mineral admixture to improve the properties of concrete. This study investigates the affecting mechanism of diatomite on concrete performance by macro and micro tests. The results indicate that diatomite can reduce the fluidity of concrete mixture and change its water absorption, compressive strength, resistance to chloride penetration (RCP), porosity, and microstructure. The low fluidity of concrete mixture containing diatomite can reduce workability. With increasing diatomite as partial replacement for cement in concrete, water absorption of concrete decreases before increasing, while compressive strength and RCP rise first and then drop. When diatomite is added to the cement at a content of 5% by weight, the concrete has the lowest water absorption and the highest compressive strength and RCP. Through the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) test, we determined that the addition of 5% diatomite reduces the porosity of concrete from 12.68% to 10.82% and changes the proportion of pores with different sizes in concrete, the proportion of harmless and less harmful pores increases, and the proportion of harmful pores reduces. Based on the microstructure analysis, the SiO2 in diatomite can react with CH and produce C-S-H. C-S-H is responsible for developing concrete because it fills pores and cracks, forms a platy structure, and makes the concrete much denser, thereby improving its macroscopic performance and microstructure.

Molecular characterization of a teleost-specific toll-like receptor 22 (tlr22) gene from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) and its transcriptional change in response to poly I:C and Aeromonas hydrophila stimuli.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that can recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PMPs) and play important roles in the innate immune system in vertebrates. In this study, we identified a teleost-specific tlr22 gene from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) and its immune roles in response to different pathogens were also determined. The open reading frame (ORF) of the tlr22 was 2892 bp in length, encoding a protein of 963 amino acids. Multiple protein sequences alignment, secondary and three-dimensional structure analyses revealed that TLR22 is highly conserved among different fish species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the phylogenetic topology was divided into six families of TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR7 and TLR11, and TLR22 subfamily was clustered into TLR11 family. Meanwhile, synteny and gene structure comparisons revealed functional and evolutionary conservation of the tlr22 gene in teleosts. Furthermore, tlr22 gene was shown to be widely expressed in detected tissues except barbel and eye, with highest expression level in liver. The transcription of tlr22 was significantly increased in spleen, kidney, liver and gill tissues at different timepoints after Poly I:C infection, suggesting TLR22 plays critical roles in defensing virus invasion. Similarly, the transcription of tlr22 was also dramatically up-regulated in spleen, kidney and gill tissues with different patterns after Aeromonas hydrophila infection, indicating that TLR22 is also involved in resisting bacteria invasion. Our findings will provide a solid basis for the investigation the immune functions of tlr22 gene in teleosts, as well as provide useful information for disease control and treatment for yellow catfish.

Divergent responses and ecological risks of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to cerium oxide nanoparticles in different soil types.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2), as a common component for sustainable agriculture, have been broadly investigated due to their potential threat to the soil biodiversity and health. However, few studies considered the impacts of soil types on response of ecotoxicity of nCeO2 to plants. This study aimed to explore the effects of soil properties on ecological response of nCeO2 to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and assess the ecological risks of nCeO2 (0-1000 mg/kg) in red soil, yellow-brown soil, and brown soil by applying a multi-biomarker approach. The results showed that the clay content had the extremely significant correlation with acid solute fraction Ce in soil. Ce accumulation in wheat largely depended on acid-soluble fraction Ce, but not the total Ce. Both urease and invertase activities were highest in brown soil among the three soils, after exposure to diverse concentration nCeO2. Although wheat has a stronger antioxidant capacity in red soil, integrated biomarker response index proved that nCeO2 showed least toxicity to wheat in brown soil (IBRv2 = 34.3) among the three soils. These results indicated that the toxicity level of nCeO2 to wheat was not only related to contaminated concentration, but also greatly depended on soil properties. The soil types are important factors governing ecological risk of nCeO2 in soil, which needs to be adequately assessed and properly controlled.

Effects of vaginal seeding on gut microbiota, body mass index, and allergy risks in infants born through cesarean delivery: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal seeding-exposure of neonates to maternal vaginal fluids-has been proposed to improve the microbiota of infants born through cesarean delivery, but its impacts on the infants' subsequent health outcomes remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the impacts of vaginal seeding on gut microbiota, growth, and allergy risks in infants born through cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at Liuyang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital in Hunan, China. We estimated that a minimum sample size of 106 was needed by assuming a standardized effect size of 0.6 for the primary outcomes, with a statistical power of 80%, a 2-sided type I error of 0.05, and an expected loss to follow-up rate of 15%. Finally, 120 singleton term pregnant women scheduled for cesarean delivery were enrolled from November 2018 to September 2019. Infant follow-up was completed in September 2021. The participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the vaginal seeding group (n=60; infants were swabbed immediately after birth using gauze preincubated in maternal vagina) or the control group (n=60; routine standard care). The first set of primary outcomes was infant body mass index and body mass index z-scores at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. The other primary outcome was the total allergy risk score at 18 months for 20 common allergens (each scored from 0-6 points). Characteristics of gut microbiota, overweight/obesity, and allergic diseases and symptoms were included as secondary outcomes. The main analyses were performed according to the modified intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: Of 120 infants, 117 were included in the analyses. Infant body mass index and body mass index z-scores did not significantly differ between the 2 groups at any of the 4 time points, with the largest difference in point estimates occurring at 6 months: the mean (standard deviation) body mass index was 17.5 (1.4) kg/m2 and 17.8 (1.8) kg/m2 in the vaginal seeding and control groups, respectively (mean difference, -0.31 kg/m2 [95% confidence interval, -0.91 to 0.28]; P=.30), and body mass index z-score was 0.2 (1.0) and 0.4 (1.1), respectively (mean difference, -0.20 [95% confidence interval, -0.58 to 0.18]; P=.31). The median total allergy risk score was 1.5 (interquartile range, 0.0-4.0) in the vaginal seeding group and 2.0 (interquartile range, 1.0-3.0) in the control group (median difference, 0.00 [95% confidence interval, -1.00 to 1.00]; P=.48). For infants from the vaginal seeding group, the relative abundance of genera Lactobacillus and Bacteroides in the gut microbiota was slightly yet nonsignificantly elevated at birth and 6 months, and the risk of overweight/obesity was lower at 6 months (0/57 vs 6/59; relative risk, 0.03 [95% confidence interval, 0.00-0.57]; P=.03) though not at subsequent time points. Other secondary outcomes did not differ between groups. No adverse events related to the intervention were reported. CONCLUSION: For infants born through cesarean delivery, vaginal seeding has no significant impacts on the gut microbiota, growth, or allergy risks during the first 2 years of life.

Divergent responses of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in sandy loam and clay soils to cerium dioxide nanoparticles.

The reported biological effects of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) in soils range from toxic to protective. However, divergences of nCeO2 toxicity in soils of different textures are not known. In this study, the availability of nCeO2 on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in sandy loam soils and clay soils was discussed, and the biological effects of nCeO2 (0-1000 mg/kg) on earthworms in two soils were investigated. The results showed the bioaccumulation and biological effects of Ce on earthworms in the two soils were inconsistent. The European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction revealed that the major portions of Ce in both soils were in the residual form (98-99%), and the acid-soluble Ce fraction was greater in clay soils. However, nCeO2 was more toxic to earthworms in sandy loam soils than that in clay soils as assessed by earthworm biomass, morphology, and antioxidative damage. Thus, the high ecological risk of nCeO2 in sandy loam soils with higher pH and lower clay contents needs to be avoided, being used in agriculture to improve both crop yield and quality.

Synthesis of new functionalized magnetic nano adsorbents and adsorption performance for Hg(II) ions.

Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-nNG-SPTZ (including Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-2NG-SPTZ, Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-3NG-SPTZ) were prepared by 2-mercapto-5-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole and the reaction products of 3, 6-dichloropyridazine and cyanuric chloride with Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 respectively. Fe3O4@SiO2-S-nNG-SPTZ (including Fe3O4@SiO2-S-2NG-SPTZ, Fe3O4@SiO2-S-3NG-SPTZ) were prepared by 2-mercapto-5-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole and the reaction products of 3, 6-dichloropyridazine and cyanuric chloride with Fe3O4@SiO2-SH respectively. Four novel adsorbents were characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR and XRD. Hg(II) ions removal efficiency of these adsorbents were more than 95%, in 15-20 min, at pH 7.0-8.0. It is easy to separate these adsorbents that adsorb mercury ions from the solution through magnets. These adsorbents have similar adsorption mechanism and have application value in the treatment of mercury ions in sewage and are worth studying.

Thrombotic pulmonary embolism of inferior vena cava during caesarean section: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic pulmonary embolism (TPE) is one of the most critical diseases in obstetrics but is rarely reported in caesarean section (CS) because TPE patients in CS have a high risk of death and are difficult to diagnose. This case report of TPE during CS was recorded by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and can provide a reference for the differential diagnosis of critical illnesses in CS. CASE SUMMARY: A 37-year-old pregnant woman with rheumatic heart disease (RHD), gravida 5 and para 1 (G5P1), presented for emergency CS at 33 wk and 3 d of gestation under general anesthesia because of acute heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and arrhythmia. After placental removal during CS, TTE revealed a nascent thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) that elongated, detached and fragmented leading to acute thromboembolic events and acute TPE. This report presents the whole process and details of TPE during CS and successful rescue without any sequelae in the patient. This case gives us new ideas for the diagnosis of death or cardiovascular accidents during CS in pregnant women with heart disease and the detailed presentation of the rapid development of TPE may also elucidate new ideas for treatment. This case also highlighted the importance of prophylactic anticoagulation in the management of heart disease during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy with heart failure could trigger inferior vena cava (IVC)-origin TPE during CS. Detection and timely treatment can avoid serious consequences.

Evaluation of the etiology and risk factors for maternal sepsis: A single center study in Guangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: Maternal sepsis is a major cause of gestational morbidity and neonatal mortality worldwide and particularly in China. AIM: To evaluate the etiology of maternal sepsis and further identify its risk factors. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated 70698 obstetric patients who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2018. Subjects were divided into sepsis group and non-sepsis group based on the incidence of sepsis. Data about medical history (surgical and obstetric history) and demographic information were collected. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare patient age, gestational age and duration of hospitalization between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the etiology and the risk factors for maternal sepsis. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) are reported. RESULTS: A total of 561 of 70698 obstetric patients were diagnosed with infection; of the infected patients, 492 had non-sepsis associated infection (87.7%), while 69 had sepsis (12.3%). The morbidity rate of maternal sepsis was 9.76/10000; the fatality rate in the sepsis group was 11.6% (8/69). Emergency admission (OR = 2.183) or transfer (OR = 2.870), irregular prenatal care (OR = 2.953), labor induction (OR = 4.665), cervical cerclage (OR = 14.214), first trimester (OR = 6.806) and second trimester (OR = 2.09) were significant risk factors for maternal sepsis. CONCLUSION: Mode of admission, poor prenatal care, labor induction, cervical cerclage, first trimester and second trimester pregnancy were risk factors for maternal sepsis. Escherichia coli was the most common causative organism for maternal sepsis, and the uterus was the most common site of infection.

Prevalence and risk factors of severe postpartum hemorrhage: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although maternal deaths are rare in developed regions, the morbidity associated with severe postpartum hemorrhage (SPPH) remains a major problem. To determine the prevalence and risk factors of SPPH, we analyzed data of women who gave birth in Guangzhou Medical Centre for Critical Pregnant Women, which received a large quantity of critically ill obstetric patients who were transferred from other hospitals in Southern China. METHODS: In this study, we conducted a retrospective case-control study to determine the prevalence and risk factors for SPPH among a cohort of women who gave birth after 28 weeks of gestation between January 2015 and August 2019. SPPH was defined as an estimated blood loss ≥1000 mL and total blood transfusion≥4 units. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for SPPH. RESULTS: SPPH was observed in 532 mothers (1.56%) among the total population of 34,178 mothers. Placenta-related problems (55.83%) were the major identified causes of SPPH, while uterine atony without associated retention of placental tissues accounted for 38.91%. The risk factors for SPPH were maternal age < 18 years (adjusted OR [aOR] = 11.52, 95% CI: 1.51-87.62), previous cesarean section (aOR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.90-3.47), history of postpartum hemorrhage (aOR = 4.94, 95% CI: 2.63-9.29), conception through in vitro fertilization (aOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.31-2.43), pre-delivery anemia (aOR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.88-3.00), stillbirth (aOR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.02-6.69), prolonged labor (aOR = 5.24, 95% CI: 3.10-8.86), placenta previa (aOR = 9.75, 95% CI: 7.45-12.75), placenta abruption (aOR = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.91-7.76), placenta accrete spectrum (aOR = 8.00, 95% CI: 6.20-10.33), and macrosomia (aOR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.38-3.83). CONCLUSION: Maternal age < 18 years, previous cesarean section, history of PPH, conception through IVF, pre-delivery anemia, stillbirth, prolonged labor, placenta previa, placental abruption, PAS, and macrosomia were risk factors for SPPH. Extra vigilance during the antenatal and peripartum periods is needed to identify women who have risk factors and enable early intervention to prevent SPPH.

Emergency Biosafety Management Practice in Laboratory of Shelter Hospital.

At the end of 2019, the novel coronavirus infection outbroke in Wuhan, Hubei Province. On Feb. 2, 2020, Wuhan, as the worst-hit region, began to build "shelter hospital" rapidly to treat patients with mild illness. The shelter hospital has multiple functions such as emergency treatment, surgical treatment and clinical test, which can adapt to emergency medical rescue tasks. Based on the characteristics that shelter hospital only treats patients with mild illness, tests of shelter laboratory, including coronavirus nucleic acid detection, IgM/IgG antibody serology detection, monitoring and auxiliary diagnosis and/or a required blood routine, urine routine, C-reactive protein, calcitonin original, biochemical indicators (liver enzymes, myocardial enzymes, renal function, etc.) and blood coagulation function test etc, were used to provide important basis for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In order to ensure laboratory biosafety, it is necessary to first evaluate the harm level of various specimens. In the laboratory biosafety management, the harm level assessment of microorganisms is the core work of biosafety, which is of great significance to guarantee biosafety. As an emergency deployment affected by the environment, shelter laboratory must possess strong mobility. This paper will explore how to combine the biosafety model of traditional laboratory with the particularity of shelter laboratory to carry out effective work in response to the current epidemic.

Study on the self-absorption of InGaN quantum wells at high photon density.

In this paper, the self-absorption of InGaN quantum wells at high photon density is studied based on a rectangular ridge structure. The ridge structure was fabricated based on a standard GaN-based blue LED wafer grown on (0001) patterned sapphire substrate. The high-density photons were obtained by a high-power femtosecond laser with high excitation of 42kW/cm2 at room temperature. Based on the analysis of the photoluminescence intensities of the InGaN quantum wells, we found that the absorption coefficient of the InGaN quantum wells varies with the background photon density. The results revealed that the final absorption coefficient of the InGaN quantum well decreases with the increase of photon density, which can be 48.7% lower than its normal value under our experimental conditions.

L1CAM mutations in three fetuses diagnosed by medical exome sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: The L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) gene, encodes the L1 cell adhesion molecule, is involved in the central nervous system development. Its mutations result in L1 syndrome which is associated with brain malformation and nervous developmental delay. CASE REPORT: We presented three fetuses with hydrocephalus and agenesis of the corpus callosum detected by ultrasound, followed by medical exome sequencing (MES) test with L1CAM mutations: two known missense mutation c.551G > A (p. R184Q) and c.1354G > A (p. G452R), and a novel frameshift mutation c.1322delG which causes the early termination of translation (p. G441Afs∗72). By utilizing multiple computational analysis, all the variants were scored to be likely pathogenic. CONCLUSION: Combined use of ultrasound and MES to identify the molecular etiology of fetal anomalies may contribute to expanding our knowledge of the clinical phenotype of L1 syndrome observed in the south Chinese population.

A novel freezing point determination method for oil-contaminated soils based on electrical resistance measurement and its influencing factors.

The traditional testing methods for freezing point measurement cannot accurately and quickly determine the freezing points of soils with a low water content and/or oil. Therefore, a new measurement method, which is more precise and has less error or deviation, was developed to determine the freezing point of soil and was verified by a series of laboratory tests. Additionally, the effects of oil content, water content, soil type, and dry density on freezing point were investigated. The results show that the water/oil mixing sequence remarkably affects the freezing point of sandy organic silt and lean clay; however, it does not affect the freezing point of poorly graded sand with silty clay. At water contents of <15%, the water content affects the freezing point more than the oil content does. At a water content of 5%, the freezing point decreases with increasing oil content. The effect of oil content on freezing point gradually decreases with increasing water content. At the same water and oil contents, the freezing point decreases with decreasing grain size. Moreover, the dry density has little effect on freezing point. The experimental results reveal the factors affecting the freezing point and their influencing mechanism, and provide important thermal parameters for thermal calculation for cold regions engineering.

The mechanism of cadmium sorption by sulphur-modified wheat straw biochar and its application cadmium-contaminated soil.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in soils has received considerable research attention globally, and sulphur-modified biochar (SBC) could combine the advantages of biochar and the sulphur element for Cd remediation. Biochar from agricultural waste is feasible, which has a low preparation cost. However, there are few studies regarding the effects of the sulphur modification of biochar on the Cd immobilization mechanism. This study aimed to research the Cd immobilization mechanism of pristine wheat straw biochar (BC) and sulphur-modified biochar (SBC), and the Cd immobilization effects of BC and SBC in Cd-contaminated soils. Elemental and SEM analysis confirmed that sulphur was successfully loaded on the pristine biochar. XPS analysis confirmed that there was a considerable discrepancy between adsorption mechanisms of Cd on BC and SBC. In particular, cadmium sorption on BC was due to Cd(OH)2 and CdCO3 precipitation formation and interaction with carbonyl and carboxyl groups, whereas on SBC, sorption was mainly due to CdS and CdHS+ formation and interaction with organic sulphide. In the incubation experiment, SBC and BC additions increased pH value and also reduced the available Cd concentrations in the soil. Compared with the control, the contents of available Cd in soil were significantly decreased by 15.86% ~ 22.10% and 22.72% ~ 27.90%, following treatments with BC and SBC, respectively.

Radiofrequency ablation for lung squamous cell carcinoma in a single-lung patient: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: High morbidity and high mortality are the main features of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Radiofrequency ablation, which produces a large amount of heat to kill tumor cells, is one effective way to treat this disease. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report the case of a 74-year-old man who presented with a 1-month history of right chest pain. His left lung was removed 12 years prior. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a mass in the right lower lobe. DIAGNOSES: An excision biopsy of the mass showed lung squamous cell carcinoma. INTERVENTIONS: We performed radiofrequency ablation. OUTCOMES: The patient underwent 3.5 and 10 months of follow-up, with a partial response and complete remission, respectively. LESSONS: CT-guided radiofrequency ablation is a safe and an effective minimally invasive treatment option. Radiofrequency appears to be a valuable alternative to surgery for inoperable patients presenting with a single-lung NSCLC.

Risk factors of obstetric admissions to the intensive care unit: An 8-year retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors among obstetric patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).The study was conducted in Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University during January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2016. A total of 44,817 pregnant women ≥20 weeks of gestational age were scanned. Demographic characteristics, perinatal outcomes, and risk factors among participants were analyzed.A number of factors (21) were more prevalent in the ICU admission group. The greatest for admission to the ICU occurred with amniotic fluid embolism, heart disease, acute fatty liver, and referral for care. The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, hysterectomy, organ failure, and method of delivery differed significantly between groups (P < .05). Adverse neonatal outcome differed significantly between groups (P < .05).Complications of pregnancy are risk factors for referral to the ICU and may increase risk for unexpected outcomes among mothers and neonates.