Review article
Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Practice recommendations for obstetric anaesthesia: what we have learned thus far

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijoa.2020.04.006Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Pregnancy does not seem to be associated with more severe COVID-19 infections.

  • Risk of antenatal vertical transmission of COVID-19 is low.

  • Epidural analgesia should be considered, provided platelet counts are not low.

  • Droplet precautions are indicated for all women with suspected COVID-19.

  • Airborne precautions recommended for general anaesthesia or higher risk thereof.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus causing a global pandemic of a severe respiratory illness known as COVID-19. To date, globally, over 30,000 people have died from this emerging disease. As clinicians and healthcare systems around the world are rapidly adapting to manage patients with COVID-19, limited data are emerging from different patient populations to support best-practice and improve outcomes. In this review, we present a summary of emerging data in the obstetric population and offer obstetric and anaesthetic clinicians around the world a set of evidence-driven, practice-based recommendations for the anaesthetic management of pregnant women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Keywords

Coronavirus
COVID-19
Anaesthesia
Obstetrics
Recommendations

Cited by (0)

View Abstract