Objective The objective of this study was to identify the predictors of emergency delivery in women with placenta previa. Methods This is a retrospective study of pregnancies complicated by placenta previa, scheduled for a cesarean delivery between 2001 and 2011. Using univariable and multivariable regression predictors for emergency delivery in these women were determined. Predictive performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis and calibration plot. Internal validation was performed by bootstrap analysis. Results Of 214 women with singleton pregnancies, 93 (43%) had an emergency cesarean delivery, and 43 (20%) were preterm. Independent predictors for emergency delivery were history of cesarean section (odds ratio [OR], 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-12), antepartum bleeding with one (OR, 7.5; 95% CI, 2.5-23), two (OR, 14; 95% CI, 4.3-47), and three or more episodes (OR, 27; 95% CI, 8.3-90) as well as need for blood transfusion (OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 1.7-23). For emergency preterm delivery, covariates were comparable. The area under the curve was 0.832 on the original data and 0.821 on the bootstrap samples. Conclusion Predictors for emergency delivery in women with placenta previa can be used for individualized antenatal care concerning timing of delivery and corticosteroid cover. Potentially, careful selection in women with placenta previa can result in more conservative treatment in an outpatient setting and reduction of iatrogenic preterm delivery.
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