Multiprofessional perinatal care in a pregnant patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19

Bernhard Roessler,Lukas Wisgrill,Angelika Berger,Herbert Kiss,Stephanie Kampf,Pia Gattinger,Alex Farr,Edith Fleischmann,Pilar Palmrich,Rudolf Valenta

doi:10.1186/s12884-021-04059-y

Abstract

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused ongoing challenges in health services worldwide. Despite the growing body of literature on COVID-19, reports on perinatal care in COVID-19 cases are limited.Case presentationWe describe a case of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a 36-year-old G5/P2 pregnant woman with morbid obesity, confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, and fulminant respiratory failure. At 28+ 1 gestational weeks, the patient delivered an uninfected newborn. Using ImmunoCAP ISAC® technology, we found no immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibodies, suggesting that no mother-to-child viral transmission occurred during pregnancy or delivery. The maternal respiratory state improved rapidly after delivery; both maternal and neonatal outcomes were encouraging given the early gestational age and fulminant course of respiratory failure in our patient.ConclusionsThe management of ARDS in pregnant women with COVID-19 is complex and requires an individualized, multidisciplinary approach, while considering maternal and fetal outcomes.

Highlights

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused ongoing challenges in health services worldwide
We report a case of a pregnant woman at 27+ 5 gestational weeks, who presented with fulminant acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to severe COVID-19
A real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test using nasopharyngeal swabs was positive for SARS-CoV-2 and negative for influenza A, B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Summary

Introduction

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused ongoing challenges in health services worldwide. Conclusions: The management of ARDS in pregnant women with COVID-19 is complex and requires an individualized, multidisciplinary approach, while considering maternal and fetal outcomes. * Correspondence: alex.farr@meduniwien.ac.at 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18–20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria Full list of author information is available at the end of the article risk of severe morbidity and mortality during pregnancy.

Results

Conclusion