Quiz 1: Introduction to maternal and perinatal mortality

Please choose the one, most correct answer to each question or statement.

1. What is the meaning of mortality rate?
   • The commonest causes of death.
   • The total number of people who die each year.
   • The proportion or percentage of people who die each year.
   • The speed at which people die.
2. The mortality rate:
   • Is usually the same for all hospitals.
   • Usually does not change from year to year.
   • Falls as people get older.
   • Is usually calculated each year for each health district.
3. Why is it useful to know the mortality rate?
   • It reflects the amount of illness in a community.
   • It reflects the standard of health care.
   • It reflects both the amount of illness and the standard of health care.
   • It reflects the number of people in the community rather than the amount of illness or standard of health care.
4. The primary cause of death is:
   • The cause of most deaths in that community.
   • The condition which led to the death.
   • The cause of death that is the easiest to prevent.
   • The first cause of death that is thought of.
5. The final cause of death is:
   • The most unexpected cause of death.
   • The cause of death diagnosed by a doctor.
   • The event which finally caused the death.
   • The most likely cause of death.
6. What is an audit?
   • An instrument for examining the ear.
   • A systematic assessment.
   • A common cause of maternal death.
   • A death report.
7. What is a mortality meeting?
   • A meeting of health care workers where the deaths of patients are discussed.
   • A funeral service.
   • A support group to help patients who are dying.
   • A meeting to decide which staff member is responsible for a patient’s death.
8. Why is a mortality report important?
   • It is used to calculate the funding needed by each hospital.
   • It is used to identify problems and plan improvements in a clinical service.
   • It is used to calculate the staff required in each clinic.
   • It is used to identify doctors or nurses who need to attend training courses.
9. What is morbidity?
   • A preventable cause of death.
   • A cause of death which cannot be prevented by good care.
   • Conditions which make patients ill but do not kill them.
   • A condition which causes severe depression after delivery.
10. Why is it important to document morbidity?
    • It can be treated with antibiotics.
    • Because deaths can be prevented by reducing the morbidity.
    • Because morbidity is easy to document.
    • It is a sign of good care.
11. Who should be responsible for collecting maternal mortality information?
    • The medical superintendent or matron.
    • Only the medical staff.
    • The senior nursing staff.
    • Everyone in the service.
12. What is a confidential enquiry?
    • A secret investigation into poor care provided by a doctor or nurse.
    • An attempt to prevent the public knowing that a patient died due to negligence.
    • An investigation by a magistrate or judge.
    • An investigation into a death where the name of the patient and staff are not made known.
13. What is a birth register?
    • A person who registers all births.
    • A book in labour ward where a record of all births is kept.
    • A list of infants admitted to the nursery.
    • The number of women who deliver each month.
14. A minimum data set is:
    • The essential information which should be recorded on a patient held antenatal card.
    • The information which is documented in the partogram (labour record).
    • The basic information which must be collected on all births.
    • Information recorded on all low birth weight infants.
15. Why is the percentage of pregnant women screened for syphilis important?
    • It indicates the amount of sexually transmitted disease in the community.
    • It indicates the quality of antenatal care.
    • It can be used to calculate the maternal mortality rate.
    • It can be used to calculate the stillbirth rate.
16. What is the expected Caesarean section rate in a low- and middle-income country?
    • 10%.
    • 15%.
    • 20%.
    • 25%.
17. What is the use of knowing the rate of asphyxiated infants (infants who do not breath well after delivery)?
    • A high rate indicates poor care during pregnancy.
    • A high rate indicates poor care in labour.
    • A high rate indicates inadequate resuscitation.
    • A high rate indicates poor newborn care.
18. The low birth weight rate is:
    • The number of infants weighing less than 2000 g at birth.
    • The percentage of infants weighing less than 2500 g at birth.
    • The number of infants born before 37 weeks gestation per 1000 deliveries.
    • The number of infants born before 35 weeks gestation per 10 000 deliveries.
19. The low birth weight rate is important because it:
    • Reflects the socioeconomic status of the community.
    • Is used to calculate the perinatal mortality rate.
    • Can be used to predict the number of Caesarean sections needed in a hospital.
    • Increases in communities where diabetes during pregnancy is common.
20. What is the low birth weight rate in South Africa?
    • About 5%.
    • About 10%
    • About 15%.
    • About 20%.