Maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States remain unacceptably high, with cardiovascular disease a leading cause of pregnancy-related death. Maternal cardiac arrest, although rare, is a sentinel event that reflects system readiness for obstetric emergencies. Unlike pediatric or adult cardiac arrest, for which Basic, Pediatric, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are standard, maternal cardiac arrest management lacks a validated, standard training curriculum. Evidence demonstrates that structured, team-based simulation improves knowledge retention, accelerates response times, enhances coordination, and improves performance metrics in resuscitation. This perspective calls for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary maternal emergency and cardiac arrest training program, modeled after Advanced Cardiac Life Support, with standardized simulation, credentialing, and policy-level mandates. Such standardization may reduce delays in care that lead to preventable deaths, improve equity, and foster a national safety culture in maternal health.
Shields et al. (Thu,) studied this question.