COVID-19 and pregnancy: Challenges for an anesthesiologist

Abstract

The anesthetic management of a pregnant patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents various unique challenges in terms of patient preparation, intraoperative management, and postoperative concerns, all while taking concurrent measures to prevent the spread of the virus from the patient to the healthcare workers. Anesthetic management of parturient in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic is further complicated by the fact that intubation and extubation are highly aerosol-generating procedures, and are generally advised to be avoided. While various organizations have come up with guidelines on the management of pregnant patients with COVID-19, definitive evidence-based guidelines for the same are lacking. This article aims to consolidate the available literature on the management of pregnant patients with COVID-19, with special impetus on the anesthetic management of these patients.