Objective: Determine the variation in type of maternal death and associated pathologies in the 2004-2008 period.
Material and methods: Maternal deaths retrospective and descriptive study at Delegación Veracruz Norte of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico. Medical files of obligatory regimen patients were included, between 2004-2008, from general zone hospitals of Xalapa, Veracruz, Cardel, Poza Rica, Martínez de la Torre and Lerdo de Tejada, and two subzone general hospitals: Tuxpan and San Andrés Tuxtla, also of the Delegación Veracruz Norte of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.
Results: Twenty two maternal deaths were registered, with a maternal mortality rate of 33.7 by 100,000 living newborns. The main type of maternal death was the indirect one, with 15 cases (68%). The main pathology associated to the direct death type was hipovolemic shock, 18.1% (4 cases), preeclampsia-eclampsia 9% (2 cases) and sepsis 4.5% (1 case).
Discussion: It is notorious the descent in direct obstetrics causes, and the increase in the indirect ones in the 2004-2008 period.