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Severe COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in Pregnancy: Prompt Delivery May Be Life-Saving—A Case Report and Review of Literature

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Abstract

To assess if preterm termination of pregnancy improves maternal outcome in COVID-19 ARDS. A 35-year-old, woman at 36 weeks period of gestation with severe COVID-19-related ARDS, whose rapid deterioration despite starting steroids, antibiotics, low molecular weight heparin, and optimizing ventilatory support, led us to intervene with a preterm emergency cesarean section. The most important factor in consideration was the limitation of maternal respiratory management due to pregnancy and superimposed maternal metabolic acidosis with the risk of fetal acidosis. The rationale of delivery was to improve respiratory mechanics and decrease maternal oxygen requirement. Some studies have discussed the importance of preterm termination of pregnancy with severe COVID-19 ARDS and investigated its impact on feto-maternal outcomes. This aspect is important as ethical and physiologic considerations in pregnancy, obviate the use of a single protocol for all pregnant women. Timely termination of pregnancy may improve maternal outcome in severe COVID-19 ARDS.

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Data Availability

Any data or material related to the case can be provided on request maintaining the anonymity of the patient.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

    Mohini Sachdeva

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    Kallol Kumar Roy, Rinchen Zangmo, Nilanchali Singh & Juhi Bharti

Authors
  1. Mohini Sachdeva
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  2. Kallol Kumar Roy
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  3. Rinchen Zangmo
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  4. Nilanchali Singh
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  5. Juhi Bharti
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Contributions

MS: performed the surgery, substantial contributions to conception and design, drafting the article and editing the final version for publication.  KKR: involved in the management of patient, substantial contributions to conception.  RZ: performed the surgery, substantial contributions to conception and design, drafting the article, and editing the final version for publication.  NS: involved in the management of patient, substantial contributions to conception and design, revising the article, and editing the final version for publication.  JB: involved in the management of patient, substantial contributions to conception and design, and revising the article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohini Sachdeva.

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Sachdeva, M., Roy, K.K., Zangmo, R. et al. Severe COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in Pregnancy: Prompt Delivery May Be Life-Saving—A Case Report and Review of Literature. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 6, 82 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-024-01710-5

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